


Summer at Camp Haven

by thisismk



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Changlix if you squint, Cute Han Jisung | Han, Falling In Love, Jisung is a camp counselor, Kim Seungmin & Lee Felix are Best Friends, Kim Seungmin-centric, M/M, Seungmin and Felix have a food truck, Seungsung, Summer, Summer Camp, Summer Love, Summer Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:08:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26217646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisismk/pseuds/thisismk
Summary: “I promise you’ll fall in love with the town,” Jisung said. “I know it looks rough on the outside, but it's really cool once you get to know what places to visit.”“Well, I’m ready to fall in love,” Seungmin rushed out, then winced. “With the town, I mean. Obviously.”✩ ✩ ✩Or; the one where Seungmin is prepared for a lazy summer with his best friend, working their food truck at Camp Haven, a kids summer camp with surprisingly cute counselors. When the swim coach starts coming by the food truck every day, his plans slowly start to make room for a summer romance with someone he knows he'll probably never see again. Somewhere in between fireflies and the smell of chlorine, though, he might even fall in love.
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Kim Seungmin, Lee Felix/Seo Changbin
Comments: 19
Kudos: 228





	Summer at Camp Haven

**Author's Note:**

> hello, sweet readers! 
> 
> When I sat down at my laptop two months ago, I knew that I wanted to try something new- what came out was this summer seunsung fic! I threw a lot of my own hometown into this, so I hope it can make you smile a bit.
> 
> the playlist for this fic can be found [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2trx8SCGXJJ00iMYqTk6n6?si=1xwYZf3dQeaCAYLfbbypXg), and the visuals for the fic can be found [here](https://twitter.com/this_is_mk_/status/1300566248326148097?s=20) !
> 
>   
> & if you'd like to help contribute to my caffeine-fueled writing sessions, you can do so [here ♥](https://ko-fi.com/thisismk)  
> 

✩ ✩ ✩

Seungmin wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, readjusting his sunglasses so the glare coming off the surface of the pool was less harsh. The sun shined brightly off the water, reflecting rays onto the pool building and over the field to where Seungmin and Felix had parked their food truck a few hours ago. The fence surrounding the pool did little to muffle the excited screams of kids learning to swim, practicing their freestyle strokes with kickboards and bright blue goggles. 

The two friends had carved out their own usual spot over the last few weeks, and the kids seemed to know where they would be stationed whenever the lifeguard would blow their whistle to announce a break. With the sounds of the top 40’s radio station playing on the speaker system the kids would all come running, ignoring how the elders would fuss at them to put on shoes or slow down, instead scurrying out of the front gate toward the promise of a tasty treat. 

“How many today, you think?”

Seungmin looked over to find Felix organizing the different syrups, moving the flavors by color rather than the alphabetical system Seungmin had originally set out. He would have been annoyed if Felix wasn’t his best friend, but regardless he gave him a gentle flick on the back of the neck. Felix was the culinary brains behind the operation, but he deferred to Seungmin on the business side of things. Seungmin looked over the yard, trying to count how many of the kids he had remembered coming by in the past two weeks. 

“Maybe twelve or so?” he said. “The twins aren’t here today.”

“Damn,” Felix muttered. “They always order some of the fun ones.”

The food truck had originally started out as a joke, something their friend Jeongin had thrown out as an entrepreneur opportunity after they had spent far too much money on street food after a night out. Over time, though, the plan for it all kind of fell into place. It made sense, after all, with Felix in his final year of culinary school and Seungmin majoring in business. They were the perfect team, creating a food truck specializing in cool summer treats. Jeongin had taken the time in between his own classes to draw a logo for them, a cute cartoon of a puppy and a kitten wearing aprons, sharing a patbingsu together. Seungmin’s roommate Hyunjin was majoring in marketing, and helped them create a catchy name, “ _Get Cool_ ”, and some business cards that they clumsily handed out to people when they came by.

They quickly found in their trial weekends that bingsu was a summer staple, and the shaved ice covered in sweet toppings was an immediate hit with the locals. They sold regular shaved ice and snow cones as well, but the patbingsu was Felix’s specialty, and Seungmin liked watching his friend put together different combinations that had customers coming back time and time again. This summer in Ashford would be a little different, of course, since they were working _for_ someone, but that just meant they had a little more creative freedom. 

Seungmin turned back to their fridge, bowls of brightly colored fruits smiling at him, chopped and ready to go on top of shaved ice. He did a little shimmy when he realized that they still had enough sweet condensed milk for the next week, so he wouldn’t have to go by the store that weekend. That was a relief- after another week of trying to keep up with excited kids and exhausted camp counselors, he needed a break. 

“And what about Mystery Counselor?”

“I don’t see him,” Seungmin sighed. “Just the main counselor. Maybe he’s in the control room?”

Camp Haven was a fairly new nonprofit. A summer program for low-income families in the town of Ashford and the poorer, neighboring counties, they had only been operating for about seven years but had already collected a pretty big following in the town. The kids would be dropped off at the community center - or, more often, walk over on their own - and then spend their days doing various summer activities. From what Seungmin had gathered at the orientation session all the workers and volunteers had attended, the main activities were art classes, reading, swimming lessons, and music.

They mostly interacted with the swim program, parking by the pool every afternoon. Most of the counselors looked to be around his own age, chasing the kids around the pool with reminders about safety and goggles and remembering to not swallow the water. The main swim coach, a shy girl with a bright smile named Mina, seemed to be well loved and well respected by all the young campers. She had help on most days, but Seungmin could tell she was beat by the end of the day when she had to run things solo. Just watching them trying to corral thirty kids was a little exhausting- they had much stronger patience than he did, apparently. 

Felix had insisted on taking the job with the camp because it seemed like good practice- if they could handle a bunch of kids screaming for ice cream, they could definitely handle drunk people on the summer boardwalk. Camp Haven obviously didn’t have a very big budget (after all, they had hired them with almost no experience) but everyone that worked for the program seemed to genuinely love it. They were getting paid a flat rate every two weeks, so at least they had some spending money while they were stuck in town. 

Felix had become fast friends with one of the art counselors, a funny guy named Changbin that came by every Friday afternoon to get berry bingsu, but they hadn’t gotten a chance to meet too many of the other camp counselors yet. Seungmin had really only spoken with two of the other counselors: a bubbly girl named Nayeon who worked in the reading center and had a sweet tooth for raspberry snow cones, and Changbin’s roommate, one of the music counselors with a deep dimple that introduced himself as Chan. 

There was one other counselor that kept catching his eye, but Seungmin tried his best to ignore how their eyes locked a few different times. Just as he finished opening a new pack of boba, dropping the pearls into a container, Seungmin heard the lifeguard blow the 4 p.m. whistle. The stampede would begin soon and when he looked over to the front gate, he once again saw the familiar face leading the front. 

“Oh god, wait, he _is_ working today.” he called over his shoulder. “It’s showtime, Lix.”

Felix snickered, but Seungmin ignored him. He adjusted the cap on his head, removing the sunglasses so he could see the menu on the side of the truck. Not all of the kids could read well just yet, so some would just excitedly gesture to the order they wanted. Seungmin turned toward the ordering window, expecting to see the bright face of one of the campers under his window, but instead found a small group of kids cheering around a young man, one kid hanging off each arm as he walked toward the truck. The very same guy Seungmin had been pretending _not_ to stare at for the past few weeks. 

Seungmin couldn’t pinpoint when he had first noticed Mystery Counselor, as Felix had started calling him, but he was pretty sure he hadn’t seen him at the camp orientation for staff. If he was being honest with himself, he had dozed off a bit near the end of the presentations, but he remembered the introductions for most of the counselors and couldn’t place him for his life. He was pretty sure he would remember him, though, because Seungmin always remembered cute boys. 

The guy was shorter than Seungmin, but his smile was bigger than anyone else's, bright white teeth standing out against honey tanned skin. He had an alarmingly harsh tan line around his hips that Seungmin noticed whenever he would emerge from the pool, no doubt from countless hours in the sun. He was walking toward them now, dark hair stuffed into a navy baseball cap with the Camp Haven logo on the front, a small house with a halo stitched in yellow thread. He had pulled on a loose tank top before gathering the kids together, and Seungmin was appreciative that he wouldn’t have to try and form sentences with the guy shirtless. 

“You got this!” Felix stage-whispered. 

Seungmin subtly shoved him away, but Felix simply laughed. They both knew that he had become embarrassingly attached in an extremely short amount of time, and he didn’t even know his name. They had been playing the game the two weeks Camp Haven had been operating, sneaking glances at one another when they could, and Seungmin had a pretty good idea of what he was like from how he interacted with the other counselors. Felix insisted that he speak to him at some point, or he’d start locking him out of the house, because day after day of Seungmin watching him with puppy-dog-eyes was getting boring.

Seungmin had a bit of a reputation within his friend group for falling too fast, but he really hadn’t planned on actually _talking_ to this guy. He really would’ve been content to just stare at him all summer. Mystery Counselor seemed to have a plan of his own, though, and Seungmin couldn’t help a small flurry of nerves from rising when he saw that the boy was approaching with his signature smile, campers lined up behind him. 

“Hi,” Mystery Counselor said. “The kids dared me to go first today.” The children in a line behind him cheered, one even pumping a tiny fist in the air. 

“You seem to be popular,” Seungmin quipped, pleased that his voice was steady. “What can I get you?”

“The tropical-blend snow cone, please,” he said. “Chan said that one was good.”

So he knew Chan- Seungmin tucked that into the back of his mind for later. He was having a hard time focusing on writing up the order, too flustered that they were finally talking after weeks of awkwardly catching each other looking over. The kids were still cheering for him, a rumbling of _“Coach Jisung, try the berry one!”_ and _“Coach Jisung, I bet I can eat mine faster than you!”_

Mystery Counselor- _Jisung-_ smiled at them. He turned around swiftly, picking up the boy in line behind him with one arm and throwing him over his shoulder with ease. 

“I haven’t seen you guys around before.” he said, turning back toward Seungmin. The boy continued to dangle over his shoulder, happily squealing as they continued talking. 

“Well, _Coach Jisung_ ,” Seungmin offered. “This is the first summer Get Cool has been working here.” 

“Well I’m glad, I need more people my age around here,” he laughed. “Because the kids like to keep reminding me that I’m so _old_.”

The kids laughed, one boy in the back yelling, “Coach Jisungie is _so_ old!”

“Yeah,” a girl near the front of the line agreed. “He’s _twenty-one_!” 

“Turning twenty-two in a few months, so I’m practically geriatric,” Jisung sighed dramatically. “Thank you for the daily reminders, Rosa.”

The little girl laughed. This seemed to be a common conversation between the coach and the campers, the kids gently teasing him as he reacted with overdramatic fashion to make them laugh. Felix handed Seungmin the snowcone with a not-very-subtle wink, the smell of pineapple and guava syrups filling the air. Jisung finally set down the boy he was hauling around so he could pull some bills out of his pocket and place them in the tip jar, a ceramic puppy with it’s mouth wide open. 

“Thank you,” Jisung said, taking the treat with an outstretched hand, an old woven bracelet on his wrist. “What’s your name? I meant to ask the first day, but then I had training and it felt like it was too late to ask, so I’ve just kind of been staring at you for the past few days. It would feel a lot less creepy if I knew who I was spying on.”

He laughed, the sound airy and bright. Seungmin blushed at the fact that he admitted to staring back, but was impressed that he seemed to be fairly shameless about it. That was something he needed to learn. 

“I’m Seungmin,” he said. At the not-so-subtle coughing from behind him, he added, “And that’s Felix.”

Jisung stuck his hand up, awkwardly waving it with a laugh as Felix waved frantically from the back of the truck. Jisung offered the boy an air-five, which was happily reciprocated. 

“Well, Seungmin,” he said, turning back to him. “If you or Felix ever need any help learning your way around town, let me know. I’ve been working in Ashford the past couple summers, and I’m a pretty good tour guide.”

“Noted,” Seungmin said. “I, uh, _we_ just may take you up on that.”

Seungmin offered him a plastic spoon, if only to give his hands something to do, but Jisung politely shook his head. He reached into his pocket instead, retrieving a reusable bamboo spoon from one of the pockets of his swim shorts. _How long had that been in there?_ Seungmin wondered. _Surely he wasn’t swimming with that, right? It would make everything taste like chlorine, and-_

“You’re going to _love_ coach Jisung!” one little girl yelled, pulling Seungmin from his sanitary concerns. “He stares at you because he thinks you’re pretty!”

“ _Rosa_!”

The girl snickered, and when Jisung turned back to the truck, his cheeks were red. 

“Please ignore her, oh my god, I promise I’m not a total creep,” he turned back to his campers, stage-whispering, “You guys are supposed to help me make a _good_ first impression, remember?”

“Now he knows you like him!” Rosa insisted, and Seungmin had to stifle a laugh at the way Jisung sighed in defeat. 

A little boy stepped forward, hand across his chest like he was saying the pledge. “Coach Jisung is the _best_!”

“Make sure you tell Coach Changbin that at your next art lesson!” Jisung said. “Now, who’s next in line?”

So he knew Changbin, too. Felix’s ears perked up at that, but Seungmin hip-checked him out of the way when he started to approach, not quite ready to give up Jisung’s attention. It was all in vain, though, because the counselor had already moved to the side to let the kids start to order. 

The kids all lined up perfectly, days of practice training them not to push one another as they each waited for their turn to order. They ranged in size, but all seemed to be around the 7-12 age range. They prattled off their orders, Felix producing a perfect snow cone every time, until they reached the last child. This one, a boy named Noah who was missing his front tooth, always ordered a patbingsu and shared it with his three little brothers. Today was no different, and he took his order over to a picnic table where his siblings were squealing in anticipation.

Seungmin watched Jisung out of the corner of his eye as he filled the orders. He still had a dusting of pink on his cheeks, but was quickly gaining his earlier bravado back. He was checking in with the campers only by one, making sure they all had napkins and had thanked Seungmin and Felix properly. Once the final order was filled, he shooed the final kid over to the tables to eat. He turned to the truck with his cocky persona back in full effect, but this close Seungmin thought it seemed more like a mask than his actual personality. He was surprised to find that he was intrigued. 

“Thanks for the cone,” Jisung said, sliding a napkin toward Seungmin. “I’ve got to get back to being the best counselor at Camp Haven, but here’s my number. If you guys ever want to explore the town, hit me up.” 

“Sure thing,” Seungmin said. “I’ll call you.”

“I promise you’ll fall in love with the town,” Jisung said. “I know it looks rough on the outside, but it's really cool once you get to know what places to visit.”

“Well, I’m ready to fall in love,” Seungmin rushed out, then winced. “With the town, I mean. Obviously.”

Luckily, Jisung just giggled. 

“Obviously,” he winked. “Try not to fall in love with me, too.” 

“No offense, but I _don’t_ think that’ll be a problem,” Seungmin laughed. “But I’ll do my best.”

Jisung grasped his chest, like he’d been shot in the heart, but Seungmin just laughed and shooed him away from the ordering window. Jisung gave him one last smile before jogging over to the picnic tables, doing a headcount. He began to pretend that one of the kids had become invisible, making a scene of looking under the tables and behind chairs as the kids giggled and pointed. It was only when the little boy started to try and climb a tree that Jisung finally admitted that he hadn’t developed superpowers, pretending to “discover” the boy with a dramatic gasp that had all the campers giggling. 

With the afternoon orders done, Seungmin closed the window pane and took off his hat, ruffling his bangs back into place. Felix mirrored him, plucking his hat off and raising an eyebrow at him.

“Already found a husband?” Felix teased. “That’s a new record, Minnie, we’ve only been here two weeks!”

“Hardly,” Seungmin scoffed. “I like looking at him, but I’m literally never going to see him again once this summer is over.”

“Well I thought he was kinda cute,” Felix said. “You don’t always need to be with the class president, you know? He’s got that boy-next-door kind of vibe to him. Plus, he’s a swimmer. Could make this summer a little more fun.”

“We’re here to work, not hit on the local boys.”

“Why not both?” Felix shrugged. “Besides, I know you. You won’t call him.”

“Not true!” 

“ _So_ true,” Felix countered. “You never let loose, dude, there’s no way you’d be able to have some steamy summer love.”

Seungmin rolled his eyes, turning back to the shave ice machine in time to create another perfect cup of cold crystals. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how to have fun- Seungmin could shut down a noraebong with the best of them- but he was known in their friend group as the one who really got stuff done. He liked the predictability of routine, and didn’t easily let himself get distracted by _every_ cute guy on campus- only the top ones. Seungmin was the kind of person to date the head of a campus organization or a former valedictorian, not a camp counselor he knew nothing about. To be honest, he tended to roll his eyes at his friends when they would bring someone home after a night out. 

When they had signed the contract for Camp Haven, Felix had immediately been the one to start researching cool things to do nearby. He mused about the cute counselors, but Seungmin was just focused on making some money and earning a few extra credits for his business class. He knew Felix was baiting him, and had been ever since he noticed the way Seungmin’s eyes followed the new counselor around the pool, but he didn’t want to give him the satisfaction by denying it further. He was a little surprised the showboat of a counselor had caught his eye in the first place, but what could he say? He had a soft spot for pretty boys. 

A loud laugh pulled his attention back over to the picnic area, where the kids were now collecting in a dog pile on top of Jisung. Even from across the field, Seungmin could see him smiling, lazy and free, as the kids climbed over him. There was something intriguing about him that Seungmin couldn’t quite put his finger on. Not yet, at least. 

“Well,” he finally muttered. “Just a summer fling shouldn’t be a problem, right?” 

Felix’s eyebrows widened, but then he broke into a smile. 

“That’s the spirit!” he announced with a wink.

Seungmin looked down to the napkin one last time, nine digits haphazardly written in smeared blue ink. Jisung was someone he’d never see again after this summer which made him the perfect candidate for something with no strings attached, so if he completely embarrassed himself, it was no problem. Seungmin looked up to find Felix wiggling his eyebrows at him, so he finally entered Jisung’s number to his contacts. At the last moment, he added an emoji next to his name, a small yellow sunshine.

✩ ✩ ✩

Jisung responded to Seungmin’s text that night in thirty seconds flat. He seemed eager to help Felix and Seungmin navigate the area, texting them both a short list of the best places to grab dinner and pointing out which movie theaters had the best popcorn. Seungmin slowly got used to Jisung’s texts each night, each one offering a glimpse into the different places he could explore that summer after work. 

During the day, though, he was focused on the food truck. He purchased supplies as needed, ordering new flavors at Felix’s request, and each afternoon Jisung would lead his little troop of campers over to Get Cool after their 2 p.m. lessons finished. The kids would line up, taking turns in the front, and hurry over to the truck with excited smiles before settling in the picnic area or the playground to eat their shaved ices. Jisung would always go last, half so that he could keep an eye on the kids, and half to spend some more time talking with Seungmin while the kids ate their treats. 

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, he would order a different flavor snow cone. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, when he had a longer break, he’d splurge for a patbingsu. Felix started to get creative with the designs, creating different emojis with the boba and fruit. He and Jisung hit it off immediately, a shared love for teasing Changbin, the basis for a surprisingly strong friendship in a very short amount of time.

Eventually, Jisung had convinced Seungmin to join him at one of the picnic tables during his Tuesday and Thursday patbingsu splurges. He tried to insist that he should stay with the truck, just in case any of the kids dropped their treats and needed a replacement, but Felix quickly shooed him out (“ _in the name of romance!_ ”). He spent those two days every week sitting cross legged at one of the tables, laughing at how Jisung tripped over his words when he got excited. 

Jisung’s energy was, in a word, magnetic. Seungmin found himself speaking comfortably with him much quicker than he had anticipated. While meeting new people usually came with that awkward small talk stage, he found himself falling into a comfortable banter on the first day. It helped that they had a decent amount in common- once they established that Felix and Seungmin had already gotten to know Changbin and Chan a bit, they spent almost the entire 30 minute break talking about their favorite music artists. 

Although they were enrolled at different universities, they were both going to be seniors in the fall, and quickly bonded over a mutual distaste for the senior projects they would both have to soon undertake (a semester-long internship for Jisung, and a business proposal thesis for Seungmin). Ashford was a sort of halfway point between them, Jisung to the north and Seungmin to the south, and it was a wonder they had ever met in the small town in the first place.

Felix kept trying to get Seungmin to ask Jisung to hang out outside of work ( _“In order to have a summer fling, my sweet Seungmin, you need to actually hang out with the intended fling-ee!”_ ), but he hadn’t pulled the trigger yet. They would all hang out in a group sometimes, grabbing a bite at the local diner or just hanging out at the pool after camp hours, but Felix and Changbin quickly became much more interested in talking to each other than in chaperoning their friends.

One Saturday, as Felix and Changbin took turns throwing each other into the deep end, Jisung and Seungmin sat at the edge of the pool to dangle their feet in the cool water. Felix let out a wild scream as he fell into the water, Changbin’s booming laugh echoing across the pool deck. 

“I bet if we left they wouldn’t realize for, like, an hour,” Seungmin noted with a laugh. “We could literally run away and they wouldn’t even notice.”

“Do you ever want to run away?” Jisung asked. “Not legitimately, but just get away from the responsibility of everything for a day? ‘Cause I feel like that sometimes, where the routine of everything gets a little tiring. I love the kids and the town, but I just wish there was a little more adventure around here.”

“Maybe we can make our own adventure,” Seungmin offered, bumping shoulders with him. “You’ve got a truck, we could go anywhere.”

“It’s a miracle she hasn’t died on me yet,” Jisung laughed. “I’ve had that truck since I turned 16.”

“It looks like it’s in good shape though?” 

It was true. Jisung had talked about his ride at length during one of the first afternoons together, raving about the old truck his dad had passed down to him. It was an old ‘84 Chevy, navy blue with a stripe down the side, and only a single passenger seat to its name. As far as roadtripping went, it was less than ideal, but Jisung loved it like nothing in the world could compare to it’s cracked seats and broken window handles. 

“I’m not the best with cars,” he explained. “I usually just bike around town unless I’m going somewhere further from the home. The truck is probably past her prime, but Changbin is a genius with mechanical stuff so he’s kept her running pretty all these years.”

“Where would you be without Changbin and Chan?”

“Probably lost on a back road somewhere,” he laughed. “Changbin keeps the truck running and Chan is a living, breathing GPS. I get lost driving back to the townhouse sometimes.”

“Aren’t you just staying down the street?”

“Yeah,” Jisung sighed. “And yet, I still ended up on the other side of town my first summer here!”

Seungmin laughed, trying to imagine Jisung behind the wheel, bright eyes clouded with confusion as he made U-turn after U-turn. He could almost hear the rapid-fire pace of Jisung’s complaints, a rap of a conversation as he tried to find his way around with a pout on his face. It was a cute vision.

“Well if you were going to go run away somewhere,” Seungmin continued. “Where would it be?”

Jisung smiled in spite of himself. 

“It’s a secret spot in town,” he admitted. “Maybe if you stick around, I’ll take you someday.”

They settled back into comfortable conversation. They talked about their universities, the things they liked, the things they had barely tolerated over the past three years, and the things they were looking forward to in their upcoming senior years. As Seungmin finished a story about getting into his university’s business school (“ _Think like an academic version of the Hunger Games, only worse,_ ”), Jisung looked up and cocked his head to the side, like he was thinking so deeply that the weight had pulled it down. There was a beat of silence, and he tried to think of something to say, but Jisung offered him a small smile and spoke first. 

“I like you, Seungmin.”

He said it so casually that Seungmin sputtered. He gripped the back of his neck, trying to force himself to look Jisung in the eyes as he leaned forward to place his hands on his knees. He was fighting a ferocious blush, hoping it wasn’t clear on his face, but was pretty sure he was losing the battle. 

“You don’t really know me.” he finally said. It came out more blunt than he had intended, but Jisung looked unperturbed.

“Maybe not,” he shrugged. “But I’d like to, if you’ll let me.”

If Seungmin was smarter, if he was able to step back and look at the bigger picture, he would’ve told Jisung that continuing to hang out wasn’t the best decision for him. He’d tell him that he should be focused on making money, on proving that the business could succeed after college. He’d tell him that he was supposed to be learning to relax a bit, but he was only really comfortable with Felix, that jumping into something with someone who had an entire friend group attached was just too much. If Seungmin was smarter, he would’ve stepped back a bit. 

Instead, he found himself leaning in and asking, “Would you want to go on a date with me?” 

Jisung pushed his bangs back and smiled wide, splashing a bit of water toward Seungmin with a well-timed kick.

“I thought you’d never ask!”

✩ ✩ ✩

He had asked Jisung out in the late afternoon, and by the evening they had plans for the following day. Seungmin had messaged him with shaking hands, but Jisung had texted back almost immediately, showering his texts with excited emojis and one unfairly cute selca. 

When it came time for him to go meet Jisung, Seungmin inspected himself in the mirror. 

“I look ridiculous.”

“You do _not_ ,” Felix insisted. “Please do not insult my skills.”

Seungmin shifted back and forth uncomfortably, picking at a seam on his shirt. When he had asked for Felix’s help getting ready for his date with Jisung, he hadn’t envisioned an entire afternoon getting his hair and makeup done, let alone having to model five different outfits for his friend. They had settled on a black and white checkered blazer over a nice white t-shirt, tucked into his pants with something called a French Tuck ( _“I owe everything I’ve learned to Tan France!”_ ). Felix had then parted his chestnut hair with surgical precision, fluffing it with vigor so that it laid just so. 

Although Seungmin was annoyed with how long it had all taken, he had to admit that Felix had done a good job. He wondered if his hair would fall from place on the bike ride over, but didn’t bring up the concern, lest he be stuck in the chair for another ten minutes as Felix attacked him with enough hairspray to kill a cockroach. 

“Now just remember to have fun, Min,” Felix said, giving his hair one last adjustment. “You always take everything so seriously, I want you to relax a bit.”

“I don’t always take everything seriously,” he argued. “Just, like, important things.”

“Well, it’s time for you to let off a little steam,” Felix insisted. “Don’t worry so much about everything being perfect all the time. You’re going out with a cute boy and if you embarrass yourself it doesn’t matter, because you’ll never see him again after this summer. Just have fun!”

Seungmin rolled his eyes, but nodded so that his friend would stop glaring at him. He patted down his pockets, making sure that he had his wallet, phone, and keys. He was halfway out the door when he finally turned around, a shy smile on his face. 

“Thanks, Lix,” he said. “Seriously.”

Jisung was waiting at the end of the downtown strip, anchoring his bike to a pole with a complicated-looking lock. Seungmin pulled his own bike up next to him with a smile, and noticed that Jisung’s usually messy hair looked styled today. He was wearing a fashionable oversized graphic t-shirt haphazardly tucked into a nice pair of dark jeans, and Seungmin realized with a blush that he had put in some effort, too.

Jisung took him to “ _the best brunch in suburbia!_ ” that Sunday morning, leading him to a small brick building nestled in between a tailor shop and a yoga studio. Seungmin thought he might be able to hear the sound of meditation music coming through one of the walls, but once they settled into their seats at a small loveseat table, they fell into conversation that drowned out the guitar strings. 

The menu ranged from different types of french toast and smoothies, to hash browns and eggs in any and every style. Seungmin ordered a sensible breakfast, eggs on toast with a side fruit salad, but immediately regretted it when Jisung’s order of cheesecake french toast arrived on the table. If he stole a couple of bites, well, nobody needed to know. 

“How long have you been working at Camp Haven?” Seungmin asked as he munched on his toast. “I know you said you’re not originally from around here, but you seem to know the area well.”

“It’s my third summer,” Jisung said. “Three summers of exploring the town with Chan and Changbin have made me a bit of an expert.” 

“And you’ve always been a swim coach?”

“No, actually, I originally was going to be helping with the music program with Chan,” he explained. “But then Jae had to drop out last minute. He always works with the older kids while Mina handles the younger ones, and with him gone she would’ve had to handle all the kids on her own without any help. Mina is kind to a fault and knowing her, she wouldn’t have complained until she was completely burned out.”

“Swim seems to be one of the more popular programs at Camp Haven from what I’ve seen.”

“Yeah, only behind art,” Jisung nodded. “She would’ve been in charge of like thirty campers by herself every day. That’s way too much for one person, so I volunteered to take the empty slot.” 

“Do you like it?” Seungmin asked. “Or do you wish you got to stay with music?”

“Well, I obviously love music,” Jisung admitted. “But I still get to play my guitar at night when I get off work, and I’m surprised to find how much I’m enjoying being a swim coach. The kids are just so excited about learning. They’re so goofy about pushing each other in the pool or racing each other, it’s nice to see them enjoying themselves like this. Like kids are supposed to.”

One of the first things Seungmin picked up on about Jisung over their afternoons together was that he really loved working with kids. It was one of the only times that he cracked out of the persona he had built for himself, becoming soft and shy and earnest as he spoke about the children he worked with. He was a social work major, focusing on educational programs for underprivileged families, and Seungmin found himself enthralled as he spoke about the kinds of programs he wanted to run one day. 

He talked at length about how most of the kids who were enrolled that summer came from tough backgrounds, often put in situations where they didn’t often get to act their age, so he wanted to make sure that Camp Haven was an escape for them. Even if it was just for a summer, he wanted them to experience the real joy of being a kid. 

“I’m an only child,” Jisung explained. “And I was really lucky to have a strong family and lots of opportunities to try different things as I grew up. When I was a kid, having fun was the number one thing on my mind.”

He paused, furrowing his eyebrows a bit as he thought. 

“These kids, they don’t always get that,” he finally said. “Sometimes I feel like their older brother, and it’s really important to me that, no matter what their living situations might be, they get to have at least have one person to look up to. I want them to all know they have someone rooting for them.”

Seungmin didn’t quite know how to respond. Jisung kept surprising him- his funny persona not quite matching with the fierce softness he showed every now and then- but then he would break back into character before Seungmin could ever comment on it. He did it again then, ruffling his bangs and winking at Seungmin as he finished his french toast. 

Thinking about the impact that Jisung and his cohort were making, Seungmin felt a little embarrassed at his business major. He had always leaned into economics and marketing, feeling safe in the world of numbers and trends, while Jisung was out there trying to change the _world_. But when he said as much, Jisung had simply rolled his eyes and given him a gentle shove. 

“Why do you think Camp Haven gets to come back every year?” he asked. “We need business-y people in the world, otherwise nothing would get done. If you gave me a spreadsheet my head would explode, but you can use those skills for good. Just because we have different strengths doesn’t mean any one is better than the other.”

“That’s easy to say when you’re being someone’s role model every day.”

Jisung paused, tilting his head as he looked at Seungmin. He played with the bracelet on his wrist, turning a loose thread in his hands as he thought. Finally he shrugged.

“You’re making the world a better place in your own way, Min,” he said. “I truly believe that.”

Seungmin blushed at the nickname, but nodded. 

They ate and talked until their watier started to look a little annoyed, prompting Jisung to grab the check before Seungmin could even process what was happening. Once they left the restaurant, Jisung turned to the left and started walking down the sidewalk toward the shopping center. He dragged Seungmin through a couple of different local shops, insisting that he get some sort of the town’s signature beef jerky, which they munched on as they biked back toward Jisung’s townhouse.

Jisung locked his bike up at the rack in front of the complex, gesturing to the broken down fence with a grand wave, declaring, “Welcome to paradise!” 

Seungmin laughed as he leaned against the bike rack, Jisung pointing out the unit on the left as his home for the next few months. The building looked more like a health hazard than a getaway, but Jisung seemed unbothered. 

“Yeah, being a man of the people doesn’t exactly pay the best,” Jisung laughed. “It’s not much, but on the camp salary it’s the best I could find. Chan and Changbin always rent the unit next door, which actually has air conditioning, the bastards. But since I usually room with Jae, I got the place to myself this year- which means I get to sleep in the _bed_!”

“Oh, a bed!” Seungmin laughed in spite of himself. “Where have you been sleeping the past few summers?” 

“The couch has a pull out,” Jisung groaned. “Jae is older, so he’d get the bed and I’d always end up spending the summer with a crooked back.”

“Ugh,” Seungmin shivered. “That sucks, I can’t imagine sleeping on a shitty couch for three months.”

“The life of luxury!” Jisung laughed. “It wasn’t too bad, honestly. The camp counselors all hang out a lot, depending on what sections and work times we have. I get to hang out with Chan and Changbin at lunch breaks, and sometimes Mina and her roommate Sana come over for a movie night when we don’t have an early call the next morning. My roommate back home, Minho, sends us care packages every month, and he always finds the best snacks! You should come by sometime, Felix already crashed last week.” 

“Yeah, he told me about that,” Seungmin said. “I was working on updating the business model that night, so I wasn’t able to come. Sorry I missed out.”

“No worries, the unit I’m staying in is really just a place to sleep every night,” Jisung said. “The real life of summer is out in town. I can handle a crappy mattress for a few months if it means I get to work with my friends and help out the kids.”

He started to fish his keys out of his pocket, a few charms jingling as he selected the right key.

“Where are you and Felix staying?”

“Oh,” Seungmin blushed, a little embarrassed. “It’s actually pretty nice?”

“Ah, you’re a big spender?” Jisung wiggled his eyebrows. 

“ _No_ ,” Seungmin insisted. “The opposite, actually. Felix’s aunt owns a property in town that she usually rents out during peak vacation season. She had a last minute summer cancellation, so she offered the house to us for a discounted rate. She doesn’t totally lose out on this season, and in return she lets us charge up the food truck generator in the garage.”

“That’s kind of awesome,” Jisung said. “Definitely beats couch living.”

Seungmin laughed. He seemed to do that a lot more around Jisung. 

“Yeah, well, it kind of worked out. Our usual spot for Get Cool is closer to the city, and more trucks have started coming in as the weather got better. Suddenly there were, like, three other dessert trucks. It was starting to become a crowded market, so this felt like the right move.”

“Well,” Jisung leaned back with a lazy smile. “Even if it was just a strategic business move, I’m glad you’re here.”

“Yeah,” he said. “Me too.”

“I’d like to go out again,” Jisung said. “I’m sorry if that’s kind of forward, but I had a lot of fun today and I really want to see you again soon.”

Seungmin ignored the little flip in his stomach, but nodded. 

“I’d like that,” he admitted. 

Jisung’s smile was so bright he almost had to look away. He waved as he unlocked his unit, then hopped back on his bike to ride the short distance home. He was slowly getting used to Jisung’s brand of blunt honesty, but sometimes the sincerity caught him off guard. He was surprised to find that he kind of liked that. 

It would only be later on that night as Seungmin slipped into bed that he would realize they never even kissed on their first date, too wrapped up in talking and getting to know one another. Just for tonight, he let himself push away thoughts of food orders and tracking receipts, falling asleep to the image of Jisung laughing over french toast with icing on his lips and a sparkle in his eyes. 

✩ ✩ ✩

As June came to an end, they two boys fell into a routine of going on small dates. They tried to keep things professional at work, but Jisung quickly picked up on the fact that Seungmin blushed whenever he was complimented, and he started to take advantage of it. Felix teased him, naturally, but Seungmin thought he secretly looked pleased every time Jisung caused his cheeks to darken. He seemed pretty busy himself, hanging out with Changbin more often than not, but that didn’t mean Seungmin was safe from Felix’s intense need for time with his friends. 

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in days.” Felix complained one afternoon.

“Lix, we literally sit in a 14 by 18 food truck kitchen for hours every weekday.”

Seungmin was lounging on the couch in the living room, feet perched on Felix’s lap. His friend frowned, obviously not pleased with his answer. 

“I mean since we’ve _really_ hung out,” Felix said. “Not just work.”

Seungmin rolled onto his side, craning his next to see the TV better. They were watching reruns of an old anime and he didn’t particularly care about the plot, but Seungmin didn’t really want to look at the pout he knew his friend was currently sporting. 

“Come on, Minnie,” Felix whined. “Come hang out at Changbin and Chan’s place with me tonight.”

“I’ll think about it, but I need to send the reports over for our latest numbers for my business class.”

He could see the numbers in his head, expenses versus income, but Felix cut off his thoughts by knocking his feet out of his lap. Felix got off the couch, reaching to the sky and cracking his back, before turning back to his friend with a sly smile. 

“Jisung will be there,” he offered in a sing-song voice. “In case that changes things at all.”

Seungmin tried to look nonchalant, offering his friend a small shrug, but they both knew he’d been beat. If Jisung was going, he definitely would as well. He liked to pretend that Felix didn’t know where he had been sneaking out to almost every night, but his friend wasn’t stupid. He knew Seungmin would come with him. 

When dinner time rolled around, the two started walking towards Chan and Changbin’s complex. Felix didn’t have a bike, and they didn’t have any form of transportation other than the Get Cool truck, but it was so nice out that evening that they didn’t bother calling an Uber. 

They took the fifteen minute walk leisurely, Seungmin carefully dodging Felix’s questions about his dates with Jisung, until they had reached the area. As they approached the front of the apartment complex, Seungmin thought he saw someone peeking out from behind the curtains in one of the windows. 

When they walked into the unit, Jisung was practically vibrating with excitement. 

“You guys are here!” he yelled. 

Chan rolled his eyes, but his smile betrayed how funny he found it. 

“Come on in, guys, make yourselves comfortable. Pizza should be here soon.”

Felix settled on the couch in between Changbin and Chan, quickly falling into a conversation about an RPG game that they all seemed to play. Jisung patted the cushion in the chair next to him, inviting Seungmin over. 

“Hey,” Seungmin said, settling down into the chair. “What’s the plan tonight?”

“Pizza, beer, and video games,” Jisung said. “Though, to be honest, I kind of hate video games.”

“Me too!” Seungmin laughed. “No wonder Felix didn’t tell me what the plan was, I never would’ve come.”

“Not even to see me?” Jisung asked, pouting.

Seungmin grinned poking one of his cheeks with his forefinger. 

“Maybe just to see you,” he admitted. 

Jisung opened his mouth to respond, but then there was a knock at the door and the smell of pizza wafted into the room. The boys all dug in, and it only took about three hours of drinking and gaming for the evening to turn into chaos. 

Jisung had lost approximately six matches in a row before he swore off video games forever, settling into Seungmin’s side with a groan. Changbin and Felix were currently falling over themselves laughing as Chan spoke about his first summer working in the town, snorting his way through a story that included bubblegum, a boombox, and a lava lamp. 

Seungmin could feel a small headache forming as Felix let out a booming laugh that echoed over the main menu music blaring from their game. When he looked over to Jisung, he looked just as exasperated. 

“Do you want to get out of here?” he mouthed. 

Seungmin nodded fervently, grabbing his jacket and following Jisung out the front door as their friend erupted into a new fit of giggles. It was nearly midnight at that point, the moon bright in the sky as they piled into Jisung’s truck. 

Jisung hadn't been joking- it really was an older truck, and Seungmin was pretty sure that if Changbin hadn’t been working on it for him, it probably would have fallen apart long ago. There was something very distinctly Jisung about it, though. The bed was covered with a beaten-up looking blue tarp, and the interior smelled like peppermints and the cedar air freshener dangling from the rear-view mirror. Seungmin could spot a few different phone chargers shoved in the glove compartment and what looked suspiciously like two different GPS systems. It was messy, but cozy, and Seungmin felt himself relaxing into the old leather seats easily. 

The drive across town passed in the blink of an eye, and suddenly they were back at the community pool, Jisung parking under the large tree next to the picnic area. Although Seungmin had been at the pool every day that summer, this was his first time coming by after dark. Jisung pulled a key from his keyring, clicking the lock on the front gate to let them into the pool area. 

He went into the control room, turning on the underwater lights but leaving the rest off to not alert suspicion from anyone driving by. It gave the pool a dreamy kind of glow, the kind of soft light that cast shadows across the pool in streaks of white. Steam rose from the surface of the water gently, the air temperature having dropped significantly with nightfall. Seungmin fought a small shiver, crossing his arms across his body as he followed Jisung to the edge of the pool. 

They sat at the edge of the water, dipping their feet in cautiously only to find that it was pleasantly warm. 

“These are my favorite kinds of nights,” Jisung admitted. “Where the pool is warmer than the sky, and it’s quiet except for the sounds of the water. It makes me want to play music.”

“You should play your guitar for me sometime,” Seungmin said. “If you're going to talk such a big game, I need to see that you can back it up.”

“Oh, I can back it up,” Jisung winked. “Only thing I do better than swim is play the guitar.”

“Have you always been a swimmer?” Seungmin asked. “I know you said you weren’t originally one of the swim coaches, but did you swim much before?”

“All the time, actually,” Jisung said. “I was on a swim team from the time I was, like, seven. I swam all through high school and swam in the college club team the past few years, but music was more fun to teach so that’s usually what I signed up for. It seems like fate that I ended up a swim coach this summer, though, there’s something special about swimming.”

“How so?” Seungmin asked. “I mean, isn't it just exercise?”

“Not at all!” Jisung insisted. “I know you have an analytical brain or whatever, but think about it like this- when you’re swimming, you’re totally alone with yourself. There’s that rush of the water in your ears, your goggles and swim cap pressed against your eyes and head, and there’s the burning ache in your legs as you paddle that lets you know you’re really moving.”

He leaned forward, eyes bright. Seungmin could feel their pinkies brush, but Jisung looked focused on the water as he spoke. 

“When you’re swimming, you can’t even really tell that you’re working up a sweat,” he pointed out. “It’s only later on, when you finish practice and get out of the pool that you notice the heat and steam coming off your body after a really good workout. It always seems like a relaxing swim at the time so the soreness that comes a day later is always a surprise, like wow, I did work hard!”

“I guess I’ve never looked at it like that,” Seungmin admitted. “To me, work is work and fun is fun. I don’t usually mix the two.”

“It’s more than just fun, though,” Jisung said, looking thoughtful. “When I’m doing cool-down laps, or if I’m swimming without the kids there, I like to do really slow strokes. Just looking down at the tiles at the bottom of the pool, I can really be alone with my thoughts.”

“What do you think about?” Seungmin asked. 

He expected Jisung to make a joke about his friends, describe the faces of past lovers as he did laps, or maybe express complaints about the way some of the kids followed him around every day at camp. He was surprised when Jisung paused to think before answering. 

“Anything, really,” he finally said. “That’s when I get some of my best ideas for music- it’s like, so quiet under the water that all you can hear are different melodies playing in your head from the radio or from your heart, imagining scenarios that will never happen or have happened too often. There’s a sort of freedom that comes from keeping focused on your thoughts and your body for a full hour, just being with yourself.” 

Seungmin sat silent for a few moments, taking in Jisung’s words. He hadn’t really thought about anything like that before- looking at movement or work or really _anything_ in that light. He could see it, though, when he was listening to the boy in front of him talking. He could smell the tang of chlorine, feel the biting humidity of an indoor pool. Looking over at Jisung, he really felt alive. 

“I’ll show you,” Jisung said with a wink. “Let’s hop in, Seungminnie, water’s warm!”

Jisung jumped up from his seat and started peeling off his shirt. Seungmin blushed when he realized that he was undressing, but followed his movements until they had both stripped down to their underwear. Seungmin walked around to the steps, entering the pool with a cautious step, but Jisung ran to the deep end and jumped with abandon, cannonballing into the water with a loud splash. 

Seungmin was pleasantly surprised to find that it was just as warm as it had felt to his feet, and he sunk down to his shoulders with one fell movement, splashing some water over Jisung as he joined him in the pool. 

They swam around one another, treading water in the deep end as Jisung showed off a perfect backstroke. Seungmin could feel himself relaxing as the water held him up, floating with only the starry sky above him. The pool felt otherworldly at night, a dreamy feeling settling over his head as he watched Jisung dip under the water.

Jisung looked at home in the water, droplets shining on his face as he swam over to Seungmin. The underwater lights cast shadows, illuminating the planes of his chest in a way that made Seungmin’s throat feel dry. 

He stopped about a foot away from him, close enough for Seungmin to notice how his hands were shaking underneath the water. Jisung looked impossibly soft, like this, without the counselors or campers around to perform for. He seemed the most, well, _himself_ that Seugnmin had ever seen, and it made his heart constrict to be able to witness someone being completely open with him. His eyes were dark like he’d never seen, but somehow just as sweet.

“You’re really pretty, Jisung,” Seungmin blurted out. 

Jisung looked up, pleasantly surprised, and offered him a shy smile. 

“You’re pretty, too,” he said. “But you already knew that.”

Seungmin rolled his eyes, but Jisung splashed him when he noticed. 

“I‘m serious,” he said. “You’re gorgeous.”

Seungmin treaded water with a frown, skeptical of the compliment. He didn’t know how obvious it was that he was self conscious, but Jisung seemed to pick up on it as he closed the distance between them slowly. 

“I’m not usually this forward,” Jisung said quietly. “But I know you’re only here for the summer, so I want to be honest.”

“What do you mean?”

“I noticed you right away, Seungmin,” he admitted. “The kids would literally make fun of me for how gone I was for you, from day one. I remember I saw you on the first day, handing Noah that first patbingsu for his brothers- you had the sleeves of your Get Cool t-shirt pushed up to your shoulders, and you had this huge smile as the kids all thanked you. I literally tripped over my own feet when you laughed. Rosa still makes fun of me for it.” 

Seungmin laughed, treading water as Jisung continued. 

“At first I thought you were just going to be a pretty boy to look at all summer, but then you had to be funny, too! It’s honestly not fair, you’re the whole package.”

Seungmin shivered again, this one a little stronger. Jisung raised an eyebrow.

“You cold?”

“Just a little.” 

“Just go under,” Jisung stated. “The water’s warmer underneath.” 

Seungmin shook his head. “No, that doesn’t make any sense, heat rises-” 

“Just trust me,” Jisung said, extending a hand. 

Seungmin took it cautiously, but laced his fingers with Jisung’s like he had been holding hands with him his whole life. Jisung pulled him closer before taking a deep breath, encouraging Seungmin to do the same, and slowly pulled them both down under the surface. 

The first thing that Seungmin realized was that Jisung was right- it was warmer under the surface. He was right about the silence, too. Being underwater offered the kind of quiet that he didn’t even know he’d been missing, and he let out a small breath with bubbles rising to the surface. The lights reflected off of Jisung’s skin, shading him a light teal, and he looked so beautiful under the water that Seungmin leaned in without even realizing it. 

He could see Jisung’s eyes widen in surprise before closing at the last minute. He met Seungmin halfway for that first kiss, lips pressed together under water in the quiet of night. 

When Seungmin broke through the surface he gasped for breath, his head a little dizzy at the feeling of Jisung’s hand resting gently on his cheek. He was buzzing at the pressure of firm hands on his hips, skin soft and the scent of chlorine cloaking them in something private and perfect. 

“Is this okay?” Jisung whispered. 

His hands were still gripping Seungmin’s hips, and when he looked Jisung in the eyes he found a small spark of nervousness. He almost laughed at that- he thought it was clear how badly he wanted this, too.

Instead of answering, he simply looped his hands around Jisung’s neck and leaned in, pulling them back down under the safety and the warmth of the water to chase another kiss. 

✩ ✩ ✩

One Wednesday afternoon a thunderstorm came through town, causing the pool to shut down in the late morning. Seungmin had convinced Felix to take the day off after he woke up with a horrible cough ( _“If you even try to get out of bed I will wrap you in a blanket burrito so tight, you’ll never move again!”_ ), so it was just him sitting in the truck in front of the pool, trying to entertain himself until the mandated thirty-minute waiting period had ended and he could head home. He spent most of the time blaring old pop-punk music from his teenage years, dancing around the truck since there weren’t any kids to feed. 

Just as he was about to start up the truck and head home, he saw a figure coming out of the pool’s clubhouse. He couldn’t see very clearly through the rain, but once the shape started waving frantically at him, his heart rate picked up. 

Jisung jogged over to him after locking the pool gates, his bright smile standing in stark contrast to the angry gray clouds in the sky. He stopped next to the truck, looking far too happy for someone who was getting pelted by rain.

“Hey,” he said. “I didn’t think you’d still be here.”

Seungmin opened the side door, pulling him into the safety of the truck as a particularly loud crash of thunder cracked overhead. Jisung was soaked, and he shook his head like a wet dog in a way that made Seungmin squeal. He pulled the damp boy into his arms and kissed him until he felt the rain dripping down his own cheeks, stepping back only to offer Jisung one of the hand towels they had next to the ice shaver. 

It always made him laugh how punch-drunk Jisung always looked after they kissed, but now he was starting to realize how damp he had made his own shirt, the sides sticking to his abdomen. Ah, well, he supposed it was worth it if it meant he got to see Jisung’s cheeks would turn so deliciously pink. The older boy wiped at his head with the towel aggressively, and once he was somewhat dry he looked up to find Seungmin standing over the ice machine.

“Whatcha making?” 

Seungmin didn’t turn around, instead sticking one finger in the air and shaking it “ _no_ ”. Jisung snorted, but waited patiently until he was done with his secret mission. When he finally turned back toward him, Seungmin was holding a printed bowl with a brightly decorated bingsu in his hands. 

“Woah,” Jisung said. “I’ve never seen this flavor!”

“That’s because I just invented it,” Seungmin said with a smile. “Felix is usually the cook, so it might be awful, but I tried. I call it the Jisung special.”

Jisung’s face lit up as he took the bowl, looking over the treat with hungry eyes. The shaved ice was covered in strawberry and raspberry syrups, a drizzle of sweet condensed milk, and a handful of berries. 

“It’s perfect,” he declared, eyes wide. 

“I tried to put in all the parts that you seemed to like from the other ones-”

“Oh my god, there’s even _shaved coconut_!” Jisung cried. “I’m obsessed, I can’t believe you remembered all the stuff I like. You’re perfect, and this bingsu is perfect, and I’m literally never leaving this truck.”

“Well, we’ve got to leave at some point,” Seungmin laughed. “Don’t you have campers to corral?”

“Not with this storm,” Jisung peeked out from under the towel, only his eyes visible. “Usually when it rains, we split them up between art and reading classes, but Changbin is out with a cold today, so they’re getting an extra two hours at the reading center with Nayeon and Sana. I’m kind of glad it rained, to be honest, this is my first weekday off since camp started. I just came to update the daily log and lock up.”

Jisung ate his bingsu happily, only pausing to ask Seungmin questions. He seemed to want to know anything and everything- where he grew up, what color he liked the least, what his siblings were like, if he considered ketchup to be a fruit juice. Seungmin was surprised to find that the rapid fire questions were more fun than stressful ( _“in a small town” / “orange is obnoxious” / “they’re sweet, but so loud”/ “I won’t even dignify that with a response”_ ), and even threw a few back at the still-damp boy. 

“No, that’s insane,” Jisung said. “Why would I be a dog person when cats exist?”

“See, I think that’s the end of the line for our relationship,” Seungmin sighed. “Dogs are literally man’s best friend. They’re completely superior, everyone knows this!”

“Somewhere across the state, my college roommate is waking up in a cold sweat because of that sentence,” Jisung insisted. “Minho would kill me if I even suggested that dogs were on par with his precious babies.”

“Well he’s not here, and neither are any cats,” Seungmin countered. “If anything, people say I look like a puppy, so really you’re insulting me.”

“Oh, am I?” Jisung said with a smirk. “And what is the little puppy going to do about it?”

“Well,” Seungmin looked up, grinning like a devil. “I could cut you off from your bingsu supply.”

“You _monster_!” Jisung gasped wildly. “You wouldn’t!”

“Oh, but I would,” Seungmin leaned forward, so close to Jisung’s face that the older boy leaned back a bit. He caged him in with his arms and narrowed his eyes, saying, “Unless you admit that dogs are the better pet.”

When Jisung shook his head defiantly, Seungmin snatched the bingsu from his lap and dangled the bowl over the trash can. Jisung tried to grab it back, but tripped when he got up too quickly. He hit the floor with an alarmingly high-pitched squeak, which caused both boys to erupt in laughter. 

Laying on the floor of the food truck, laughing so hard he could barely talk, he finally relented. 

“F-fine,” he wheezed. “Dogs _might_ be as, as good as cats-”

“Good enough,” Seungmin laughed. He reached down and pulled Jisung back up to his seat, returning the half-eating bingsu to him as a reward. 

“You’re a hard person to read, Kim Seungmin,” he said. “I totally thought you’d be a softie, not a canine-supremacist bully.”

“What can I say,” Seungmin winked at him. “I’m full of surprises.”

He expected Jisung to hit back with a witty comment, but he simply sat back in his chair and smiled. He pulled the still-damp hem of Seungmin’s shirt so that he bent down over him, leaning up to give him a sweet kiss with the taste berries on his tongue. 

“That you are,” he said as he pulled away, sneaking a peek out the window at the pouring rain. “Can I drive you home?” 

“Thanks, but I don’t need a ride,” Seungmin said, gesturing around the interior. “I’ve got to drive the truck back.”

“Oh, _duh_ ,” Jisung rushed out. 

“But,” Seungmin said, before he could stop himself. “The rain is supposed to let up around eight, if you want to come over? I can show you around the crazy fancy place Felix’s aunt owns.”

“Yeah, sure,” Jisung smiled. “Any way I can hang out with you, I’ll take.”

Seungmin blushed, but he couldn’t exactly make fun of him when he was feeling the same way. He stole a few more kisses before shooing Jisung out of the truck to finish locking up. The older boy pouted at him after being kicked out, but Seungmin promised to make it up to him when they got together that night. 

It luckily only took until about seven for the rain to stop, and Seungmin heard Jisung’s truck pull up just twenty minutes after the droplets stopped hitting against the roof. Seungmin met him at the front door, excited to show him around.

“Wow,” Jisung exhaled. “You really weren’t joking about this place being nice. Do I hear a _fountain_?”

“It’s in the backyard,” Seungmin shrugged. “The garden wraps around the whole side of the building- I think it’s one of the main reasons this place is usually booked in the summer. I honestly feel so out of place here, it’s too adult and fancy.”

“I disagree, you seem like a man of taste,” Jisung winked. “So enjoy it while you can.”

Seungmin pulled him into the house, lacing their fingers together as he showed him around the property. Once they explored the downstairs Seungmin led him up the steps to show him the obnoxiously decorated bedrooms, pops of coral and yellow on the bedspreads. Felix stuck his head out of his room at the noise, a smile forming when he realized who was there. 

“Jisung!” he yelled. “Hey, I didn’t know you were coming over.”

“It was kind of a last minute thing,” Jisung said. “This place is _nice_ , dude!”

Felix just laughed.

“Yeah, apparently people usually book it for the dope flowers in the backyard, but this summer it just got some loud college boys. My aunt would faint if she saw how little I clean around here.”

Felix joined Seungmin in showing Jisung the rest of the upstairs, laughing about his aunt’s poor taste in furniture and showing him a glimpse of the garden through Seungmin’s bedroom window. Felix added a completely unsubtle, “You can access the _Netflix_ account on the TV in his room if y’all want to _chill_ ,” but Seungmin elbowed him so hard he coughed and let them do the rest of the tour alone.

Seungmin led Jisung back down the stairs, directing him to the back door with an excited wiggle of his shoulders.

“Ready to be blown away by some fancy plants?”

“I live for flora and fauna!” Jisung declared, throwing in a salute. 

Seungmin just laughed, opening the back door with grandeur. Jisung’s eyes grew wide as he stepped outside, taking in the garden in front of him. 

Lush and green, the garden looked more like it should belong to royalty rather than a plucky old woman with poor taste in wallpaper; she had spent most of her budget in the garden, and it showed. Anywhere you looked, plants greeted visitors with a reprieve from the concrete suburbia around them. Grey tile pathway led through a grove of lemon trees, the bright yellow fruit hanging low on the branches. Near the end of the property Seungmin could spot the herb section, a small area of the garden surrounded in wooden dividers where Felix’s aunt grew everything from mint and thyme to lemongrass and basil. 

The fountain was one of the focal points, though, and Jisung paused in front of it as they walked past. It was older, if the staining on the sides were any indication of its time out in the elements, but it was just as grand as it had always been. A dark grey concrete, water fell from the top section down to the bowl beneath, before moving on to the final, larger section at the bottom. Jisung was peering into the bottom bowl, looking at the various coins that renters had thrown in over time, little wishes left to grow. 

Seungmin’s personal favorite was the section of florals surrounding the small wooden gazebo in the backyard, bright pinks and soft blues of peonies and hydrangeas, bushes of roses growing boldly at their side. They finally ended up under the gazebo, taking advantage of the plush chaise lounges. The structure provided a bit of shade on the bright days, and a place to hide away when the rain struck. Felix’s aunt had supplied the area with two comfortable chaise lounge chairs and a small table, a dark purple color standing out against the light wood. He had spent a few nights out here so far, breathing in the scent of peonies as he called friends back home to catch up. 

“What did you do with your afternoon off?” Jisung asked, settling into one of the lounge chairs. 

“I was working on a report for my business class,” Seungmin explained. “I’m getting internship credit for working here this summer, but I have to do a write-up at the end of each month.”

“Boo, boring!” Jisung laughed, poking him in the side. “And what do you do for fun, quantum physics?”

“ _No_ ,” Seungmin rolled his eyes. He paused, then muttered, “Something even more embarrassing.”

Jisung set up, excited at the prospect of a secret. “Ohh, coin collection?”

“What? No!” Seungmin laughed. “Promise not to laugh?”

Jisung extended his hand, pinky raised like an invitation. As they interlocked pinkies, Jisung leaned forward to press a kiss on his thumb. When Seungmin raised his eyebrows, Jisung explained, “That’s how you lock in the promise.” 

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, you have to do it or the promise won’t count,”

Seungmin giggled, but copied his movements by kissing his own thumb. Jisung pressed their thumbs together to lock it in, but when they both leaned back afterwards, Jisung’s pinky was still curled gently around his own. 

“Anyway,” Jisung said, shaking his head and letting go of their hands. “I promise I won’t laugh. What do you love to do?”

“I take photos,” Seungmin admitted. 

“Oh, man,” Jisung sighed. “I thought you were going to say, like, juggling or model trains. Photography isn’t embarrassing, that’s a really cool hobby, Seungmin!”

“I got this old film camera at a garage sale a few years ago, and every now and then I shoot photos with it. It just makes me happy to capture memories, you know?”

“You’ve got to show me your pictures sometime. What kinds of things do you like to shoot?”

Seungmin pulled his phone from his pocket hesitantly, offering it to him with caution. 

“These are some of the digital copies I have, but the physical ones are even better,” he explained. “I usually do nature photography, sometimes I take pictures of my friends and stuff, but I like landscapes a lot, too.”

Jisung stayed quiet for a moment, eyes wide as he swiped through the photos. Seungmin felt exposed, nervous that he would think the pictures were lame or boring. He opened his mouth to apologize for the quality, to explain that he wasn’t a professional, but Jisung looked up at him with a beaming smile. 

“These are _amazing_ ,” he said. “Seriously, I feel like I’m there. I don’t know how you capture a place with this much emotion, but you totally did. You’re so talented, Min.”

Usually, he would brush off compliments from his friends, embarrassed at the positive attention. Something about Jisung’s kindness felt so impossibly genuine, though, so honest and open that Seungmin couldn’t bring himself to brush it off. So instead of ignoring the praise, he simply said, “Thank you,” and leaned forward to catch Jisung in a kiss. 

After he pulled back, Jisung was still looking at him with an expression he couldn’t quite place.

“What?” Seungmin asked. “Do I have something on my face?”

“Nothing, it’s just-” Jisung pulled their hands close to his chest, leaning down to press a kiss across Seungmin’s knuckles. When he looked back up, his eyes were impossibly soft. “You’re fucking gorgeous,” he said softly. “That’s all.”

Seungmin didn’t know what to say, so he just sat and let the affection wash over him. He wasn’t used to people being so open about their feelings - let alone directed at him - so he felt a little awkward. More than that, though, he felt ferociously _wanted_ , and that was a sensation that was as new as it was wonderful.

Being with Jisung felt like a fever dream- fun, but in the way that you were always a little worried that it was all going to be gone when you woke up the next morning. As the boy next to him jumped into a story about a former camper, Seungmin pushed away any worries about the future. 

He knew that no matter how the summer ended, he’d always be able to remember the seismic shift he felt in his heart when Jisung kissed him in the back of the garden that night, heavy and real. 

✩ ✩ ✩

With the new week came a ferocious heat wave. Sitting in the air conditioning of the Get Cool truck, Seungmin could see the heat rising from the pavement around the pool. He watched as Jisung pushed the campers under the shade, opening each of the large umbrellas attached to the picnic tables so that the kids were all shielded from the harsh sun. The kids had to eat their treats quicker, because the sun was melting their treats at double the speed. This meant they finished their break earlier than usual, which was less time for Jisung and Seungmin to hang out during the day. 

Seungmin quickly got used to the smell of chlorine clinging to his jacket at the end of the day from Jisung hugging him during his breaks. Since they couldn’t hang out much during camp hours, this led to more evening dates- often in the garden in the backyard of Felix’s aunt’s house. 

The first time Jisung snuck in through the garden gate, tossing small pebbles against the windowpane of Seungmin’s room, it had honestly scared the shit out of him. He emerged from the house with a baseball bat he had found in the closet, ready to confront a robber, and had found Jisung waiting by the door with wide eyes and a handful of wildflowers. He had laughed at him for about ten minutes, but Seungmin couldn't help the little flip in his stomach when he realized who had been standing under his window.

They passed the evenings in the lounge chairs, leaned back and looked up at the stars as they talked about anything and everything. Jisung would entertain him with tales from his college, how he would prank his roommate and which professors felt more like mentors. Seungmin found himself starting to open up over time, much to his chagrin. 

He looked over to find Jisung curled up in the chair, head tilted back as a soft breeze ruffled his hair. He looked impossibly gentle, a stark contrast to the brash boy that had introduced himself so many weeks ago. He had opened up slowly, vulnerability peeling away from him in layers, and it made Seungmin want to be honest, too. 

“You know,” Seungmin said softly. “Sometimes, I can’t tell if my friends really even like me.”

“What?’ Jisung asked. “That’s crazy, of course people like you. You’re, you know, _you_.”

Seungmin rolled his eyes, so Jisung continued. 

“Look, I know we’ve only known each other for a few months, but I’m kind of a great judge of character-”

“And so humble.”

“And _so_ humble!” 

Seungmin laughed, but still looked frustrated. “I shouldn’t even care,” he said. “I don’t like caring what people think about me.” 

“Seungmin,” Jisung said softly. “Even if I’m new to your life, I can tell already- you’re a good person. You dance when you eat something really yummy, and you always give the last bite to whoever you’re with. You sing while you’re working. You’re sarcastic and funny and _stupidly_ cute. People like you.”

Seungmin remained quiet, lost in his thoughts. Jisung leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. When he pulled away, there was so much fondness in his eyes Seungmin felt warm under his gaze. 

“I like you,” Jisung said. “I like you the most.”

He couldn’t stop the smile from breaking out, but he felt the familiar pang of anxiety in the back of his mind. When summer came to an end, he was going to have to step away from this little world they had built together, and he didn’t want to think about that at all. There wasn’t a lot that Seungmin was sure of, but one thing he knew for certain- if he wasn’t more careful, he might actually fall in love with Jisung. 

Just for tonight he didn’t want to think about the future or worry about being responsible, though, Tonight he had Jisung, beautiful and bright, and that was enough. 

✩ ✩ ✩

Halfway through the summer, Seungmin had gotten used to sleeping in on the weekends. He was surprised, then, when a little after nine on a Saturday morning Felix barreled into his room without even knocking. 

He threw an outfit on his bed, Seungmin still tucked under the covers, and announced, “You have to get ready!”

Seungmin sunk further into his bed. “For what?”

“You have a date,” Felix declared. “And it’s my job to get you ready.”

Seungmin raised his eyebrows, but finally sat up. 

“You and Jisung have been conspiring against me?” 

“That makes it sound like a bad thing!” Felix laughed. “We may have been conspiring, but if anything it’s conspiring _for_ you, not against you.”

Seungmin stretched, raising his arms to the sky as he inspected the outfit Felix had thrown on top of him. A soft pink shirt with a white collar and some light jeans- it offered no clues about where he’d be going, but he accepted the fact that Felix wouldn’t give him any hints. His friend loved surprises far too much to spoil one. 

“Once you’re ready, come downstairs!” Felix said, clapping in excitement. 

Seungmin got ready quicker than usual- his curiosity was winning out over his penchant for hitting the snooze button. He could feel a small collection of butterflies in his stomach that brought him back to what it was like on his very first date, sixteen with a bad haircut and a plans with a pretty boy that would only stick around a few months. This felt different, though, in the way that the nerves came more from excitement than from anxiety, and he was pretty sure Jisung was going to be a better date than some guy from his high school history class. 

Seungmin paused at the mirror, throwing himself a thumbs up and a small, “ _You got this_!” before heading for the stairs. When he took the final step down, he heard laughter coming from the kitchen. He found Felix and Changbin sitting at the table, Jisung shifting weight back and forth standing by them. Seungmin smiled when he realized that he had dressed up for him again- a short sleeve button down with a small print on it that almost looked like white dots. It would only be later, after close inspection, that he would realize they were tiny squirrels embroidered in white thread. 

“Hey!” he said. 

His friends looked over to him, Changbin offering a small wave. Seungmin walked over to them with a grin, and when he gave Jisung a hug he could still smell the faint scent of sunscreen clinging to his shoulders. 

“Sorry for the sneak attack,” Jisung said with a chagrined smile. “I just wanted it to be a surprise.”

“I love surprises,” Seungmin said.

“He hates surprises,” Felix interjected. “But he likes you.”

Seungmin rolled his eyes, cheeks reddening, but didn’t deny it. 

“I wanted to take you somewhere new,” Jisung said. “If you hate it, that’s totally fine, and we can do something else-”

Jisung fiddled with his bracelet in the way that Seungmin now recognized as him being nervous, so he reached out to take his hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. 

“I’m sure whatever it is, it’ll be awesome,” he said. “And nice to see you, Changbin!”

“He wanted to tag along- just here, uh, not our date,” Jisung laughed. “Obviously, duh. Anyway, Changbin wanted to see Felix, so I figured I could give him a ride.”

“That truck would be dead already without me,” Changbin laughed. “It owes me a few rides!”

“Fine, fine, you’re the king of mechanics!” Jisung yelled. “And I am a simple-minded _plebeian_ , unable to tell a screwdriver from a wrench, blah-blah-blah.”

Changbin gave Jisung’s side a playful poke, and he threw his hands up in defeat. 

“Besides,” Jisung said.“I’m sure you and Felix have something better to do than make fun of my truck skills-”

“Lack of skills,” Felix said with a wink.

“ _Anyways!_ ” Jisung yelled. “We’re leaving now! Try not to have too much fun without us.”

Seungmin snorted, pulling Jisung out of the house as their friends’ laughs faded behind them. They walked outside to where Jisung had parked his truck in the street. Jisung opened his truck’s door for him, waiting until Seungmin was settled into the passenger seat before shutting it gently. Jisung hopped in the driver's seat, adjusting the mirrors and looking over to Seungmin nervously as he started the truck. 

“I wasn’t sure where to take you at first, to be honest. But I figured, as someone who owns a shaved-ice truck, you probably have a sweet tooth.”

“Sometimes,” Seungmin laughed. “But I’m pretty picky.”

“No worries,” Jisung said, gripping the wheel and taking the turn skillfully. “You will _not_ be disappointed, that’s a Han Guarantee.” 

He drove across town, and they made small talk until they pulled into the parking lot of the downtown strip. All the different shops had decorated signs dangling from the rafters, windows lit up with twinkle lights and music spilling out from under the doors. Seungmin had been to the strip a few times, but had only been inside the coffee shop and the small post office at the corner. 

They spent most of the day going in and out of the different shops, Jisung explaining the history behind some of the local businesses. A huge chunk of time was spent in the small music store, Jisung pointing out different types of guitars and bass. Seungmin found himself drawn to the local bookstore, even buying himself a copy of the town’s photobook. By the time it was late afternoon, Seungmin insisted that they get to the part of the date where his sweet tooth would be rewarded. Jisung led him to the middle of the row of shops, gesturing excitedly to a pastel pink sign with a lollipop painted on the front. 

“Sugarglaze?” Seungmin read. 

“The best candy shop in Ashford,” Jisung announced. “Well, it’s also the only one, but I swear it’s really good!”

Seungmin laughed but followed him inside, the smell of sugar inviting him inside the small shop with a surprising wave of comfort. He pointed excitedly towards a jar full of speckled jawbreakers sitting on the front counter, perched on top of one another like a pyramid, and Jisung nodded eagerly. 

“Do you want one?” he asked. “Pick something in here, anything. It’s my treat.”

“Um,” Seungmin said, looking around the store. “There’s so much, I don’t even know where to start.”

Jisung chuckled, but led him around the place with ease. The shop couldn’t have been any bigger than a couple hundred square feet, but there was something delicious looking shoved into every nook and cranny of the store. The first thing Seungmin noticed was the workers behind the counter, pulling saltwater taffy in a range of pastels into small bags for purchasing. Near the front, different candy and caramel apples were displayed in a case, two employees making even more as they hummed along with the radio. They dipped apples by hand, dipping the bright red fruit in large vats of caramel and sprinkling the tops with nuts and sprinkles. 

Jisung took his hand, showing him around the shop with an excited running commentary (“ _Everything in here is amazing, but one time Changbin ate one of those mega-jawbreakers and his jaw nearly popped out of the socket, so maybe avoid those if you have TMJ!_ ”). The whole right wall of the shop was filled with pounds of jelly beans in plastic containers, the dispensers color-coded into a rainbow. Tucked in the corner was a display of every kind of gummy candy he could imagine. He spied some sour gummy worms next to some particularly juicy looking gusher gummies. 

The back wall had a variety of novelty sodas, with flavors ranging from classic cola to pickle juice, orange soda to cotton candy. Jisung told him a hilarious story about Chan trying to drink three of the sriracha flavored colas last summer, only stopping when he drank the last one too fast and it came out of his nose so quickly he cried.

“It was literally the funniest thing I’ve ever seen,” Jisung insisted. “And I am not using ‘literally’ incorrectly, or as a hyperbole, I am saying it was _literally_ the funniest thing I've ever seen.”

Seungmin felt a strange sort of nostalgia simmering under his skin, an unusual fondness for this small-town store that he hadn’t even known existed until today. He usually only had candy from the corner store near his apartment, cheap chocolate bars and the occasional fruit chew, so the tiny luxury of handmade candy felt special. It was weird how something so small was making him so happy, but Jisung looked so excited that he didn’t even bother questioning it. 

Once they had picked out their candies, they headed to the front desk to pay. Jisung smacked his hand when he tried to pull out his wallet, making casual conversation with the girl checking them out, and then they were on their way. The thick humidity made Seungmin’s skin feel warm, and he surprised himself by taking a moment to just enjoy the late afternoon sunshine. Jisung paused at his side, joining him in just taking a moment to breathe. 

As he’d gotten to know more about Ashford, he had started to see how Jisung had become so fond of the town. The downtown area had a historic feel- lots of brick buildings and family owned businesses, which stood out from the more flashy city down the road. There were pockets of poorer spots, of course, but the kids from those parts of town were still laughing as they played in the street or splashing around in the pool at camp. It felt like a little piece of home, somehow, a patch of comfort in the middle of nowhere. 

Jisung reached out and took Seungmin’s bag of cola chews, settling it into the crook of his left elbow on top of his own container of plum candy, and reached into his pocket with his other hand to grab his keys. Seungmin was surprised when Jisung walked right past the small seating area in front of the shop. 

“We aren’t eating here? It’s so nice out.”

“Nope,” Jisung said, happily popping the _p_. “I’ve got one last place I want to show you.”

They piled back into Jisung’s truck, having a brief battle over the radio before they found a station playing an old Lauv song, and they both yelled in excitement. Jisung drove with one hand on the wheel and the other holding Seungmin’s, giving it a squeeze whenever he took a turn too fast. The drive passed in a blur of bad dance moves and spontaneous harmonization, soaring down a back road to marvel at the passing trees and a few deer peeking out from the woods.

By the time Jisung put the truck in park, Seungmin realized he had no idea where they were- the older boy had parked in the middle of an unassuming field, hopping out of the truck just as the sun started to go down. He opened Seungmin’s door for him offering him a hand. 

“Did you bring me out here to murder me?” Seungmin accused. 

“Oh my _god_ , you’re so dramatic!”

“What are you showing me then?” Seungmin asked. “There’s nothing out here.”

“There’s plenty to see,” Jisung said, pulling the bed of his truck down. “If you know where to look.”

Seungmin came around to the back of the vehicle, mouth dropping when he saw that the bed of the truck was stuffed with pillows and blankets, an old boom box tucked in the corner next to a few cans of soda. Seungmin wondered how he hadn’t noticed all of this before, but then he saw the blue tarp folded up in the corner. He shook his head, impressed that Jisung had surprised him. He seemed to be doing that a lot. 

Jisung reached over to turn on the boom-box, an acoustic tune spilling out into the empty field. He offered Seungmin’s candy to him and patted the blanket next to him. Seungmin popped a few cola chews in his mouth and did a happy little dance as he settled in next to Jisung. The field was empty, only tall grass waving back and forth in the gentle breeze. He thought if he focused hard enough he could make out a bunny at the edge of the treeline, but otherwise they were completely alone. 

He opened his mouth to make some joke about being unimpressed, about this being the first time a date had taken him to an abandoned field at dusk, but then he saw the first spark of light rising up. Then another, and another. 

He sat up in a second, looking around the field with wide eyes. 

“Jisung, do you see that?” 

Jisung didn’t answer, instead offering him a lazy smile as he leaned back into one of the pillows. Seungmin finally sat back down, joining the older boy in staring at the scene in front of them. 

Slowly, one by one, fireflies started to emerge out of the woods. They rose out of the grass almost as though they were floating, little specks of bright light against the dark sky. Seungmin was transfixed, watching as hundreds of sparkling dots danced around the field. Some even hovering over toward the truck, and he had to stop himself from leaning over to see them better. He had seen a firefly before, of course, but never this many at once. 

“This is amazing,” he breathed. 

“It’s one of my favorite places around here,” Jisung said. “They have some official name for it, something from the park service, but all the locals just call it Firefly Field. They come out around the third week in May, and stay until the third week of June, so this is probably the last weekend they’ll be around.”

“I’ve never seen this many at once,” Seungmin admitted. “It’s incredible.”

“I learned about it my second summer here,” Jisung said. “One of the older counselors took me here after I had a rough day with my campers. I felt a lot like you probably did- like, _what the hell is this guy taking me to some random field for_? But then the lightning bugs came out-”

“Fireflies,” Seungmin said. 

“ _Lightning bugs_!” Jisung insisted. “Think about it, they’re these little strikes of lighting just flying around. That’s what the cool kids call them.”

“Well I guess I’m not cool,” Seungmin laughed. “We always called them fireflies.”

“Anyway,” Jisung said. “I remember just being so excited to see them, and now it’s my favorite way to celebrate summer.”

“Do you bring all of your dates here?” Seungmin asked with a wink. 

“No,” he admitted. “Just you. You’re the first person I felt like would really appreciate it, the same way I do.”

“Oh.”

They settled into a comfortable silence, snacking on their candy and enjoying the soft music coming out of Jisung’s speakers. One firefly bravely approached the pair, settling down on the side of the truck for a break. Seungmin watched it, enthralled, as it lit up every few seconds, a bright spot against the chipped navy paint. Finally, it got bored of the area and floated back over to its friends, hovering around the field. 

He wasn’t sure how long they were there for, but at some point Seungmin felt himself finally exhale. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been so relaxed around someone that wasn’t Felix in the past few weeks, so focused on making a good impression on the camp staff and hoping not to completely mess up the food truck that he didn’t really get to chill out very much. 

He was pretty sure this wasn’t what Felix had in mind when he told him to go out and have some casual fun with a cute boy, but he didn’t need to know how intensely he felt about Jisung so quickly. Seungmin felt at ease for the first time in a long time, content with being open with someone new. There was a certain stillness with Jisung, almost as though time slowed down a little bit with him, and that wasn’t something he wanted to have to explain to Felix. Knowing him, he’d insist that they were soulmates that needed to elope immediately. 

He looked over to his left, only to find that Jisung was already staring at him. A slight blush rose to his cheeks at being caught, but he didn’t break eye contact. Instead, he shyly reached his hand over to Seungmin’s and threaded their fingers together. It felt nice, just to be holding hands with him, and Jisung stroked the back of his hand with a cautiousness that nearly brought tears to his eyes.

“I know that we’re just hanging out like this for the summer,” Seungmin said softly. “But I’m really glad I met you. Thanks for showing me this place,”

Jisung looked up at the sky, the bright flashes of light reflecting in his eyes. 

“Thanks for coming with me.”

When Jisung kissed him, his heart thumped just as intensely as it did the first time but now there was a sense of safety in the way he pressed his lips against his. He kissed him hungrily, but slow enough to still make Seungmin want to pull him closer. He could hear the buzzing of cicadas in the distance and the music from the boom box still softly playing. What he liked to hear more, though, was the way that Jisung’s breath would catch when he nipped at his bottom lip, pulling him impossibly closer. 

He was starting to get a small cramp in his back from the way he was pressed into the bed of the truck and he was pretty sure he had gotten a few bug bites around his ankles, but Jisung was so pretty leaning over him that he couldn’t bring himself to move. He looked up at the older boy, his eyes dark but kind, and wondered if he could hear the rapid-fire beat of his heart. 

Jisung pressed kisses along the slope of his neck, stopping right under his ear. 

“You’re perfect,” he whispered.

Seungmin knew he wasn’t perfect, but the way that Jisung’s voice quivered made him feel like maybe he could be. For him. 

By the time they broke apart, the moon was bright in the sky. Felix was probably worried about where he was, and he had an early day tomorrow to finish up a report, but right now none of that seemed very important. Instead, he squeezed Jisung’s hand and settled into the blankets to watch the fireflies dance across the sky, enjoying the warmth of a summer night with a boy plucked straight from his dreams.

✩ ✩ ✩

In the middle of July, the big storm of the summer was due to roll in. Camp Haven decided to play it safe and cancelled all activities that Friday and upcoming Monday, so there was instantly a ton of chatter amongst the counselors about how they would spend their long weekend off. Some suggested a party while others intended to sleep the full three days to catch up for the rest of the summer’s work. 

Felix announced that he’d be visiting home that weekend, checking in with how things were going at home. Chan and Changbin offered to tag along, wanting to see what his hometown was like and especially interested in their debate over which city made the better pizza. 

Seungmin wasn’t particularly interested in going back home yet, but didn’t want to stick around an empty house all weekend either, so he nonchalantly called Jisung as Felix hit the road with their friends. 

_“Hey Min, what’s up?”_

“Do you have plans for our weekend off?”

“ _Honestly, probably just suffering through the lack of air conditioning by watching Kimi No Na Wa four times in a row. You know, the usual._ ”

Seungmin laughed, shaking his head. 

“As lovely as that sounds, how would you like to live the life of luxury this weekend?”

He heard Jisung shift on the other line, and he could almost see him sitting up straight in excitement. 

_“Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”_

“I just figure, I’ve got the whole house to myself and we’ve got air conditioning, so-”

_“I’ll be there in an hour!”_

Jisung arrived with a small overnight bag and another packet of cola chews from Sugarglaze. He was drenched from the bike ride over, but seemed totally unbothered as soon as he saw Seungmin standing in the doorway. The fact that he had remembered Seungmin’s order made his chest feel tight, but in a good kind of way, like how a family member hugs you after not seeing you for years. 

They spent the entire Friday lounging around the house, watching dramas and snacking on the huge amount of fruit Felix had gotten before heading out of town. They sat on the kitchen floor, laughing about how red Changbin’s cheeks had gone when Chan backed out of the trip last minute ( _“I just feel like he and Felix will have a good time without me, I need to catch up sleep anyways,”_ ) as they ate bowls of fruit. Seungmin could feel the creeping pressure that came with the end of the summer looming over him, but pushed it down while he was with Jisung. Instead, he leaned into the boy in front of him, watermelon juice dripping down his chin to collect in the dips of his collarbones. He licked the droplets away, the taste of watermelon on his tongue as he kissed him, soft and slow. Even if they were destined to walk away from one another at the end of all of this, he wanted to enjoy every moment they had left. 

They spent all of Saturday under the gazebo in the garden, rain coming down hard around them. Jisung had brought his guitar, safe in its waterproof case, so he played a few songs for Seungmin that day. In return, Seungmin showed him more of his favorite photographs, the ones he had taken on family trips and late nights in the college library. 

Each evening, they would gather in Seungmin’s bed with a lo-fi playlist on at a low volume on the speakers. The thunderstorm still raged outside, but the warmth of the bedroom made the howling wind feel more exciting than frightening, the rain pelting against the windowpane like a metronome.

If you asked him how it happened, Seungmin probably wouldn’t even be able to pinpoint the answer. All he knew was at the beginning of the summer, all he wanted to do was work the food truck with Felix and pick up some extra credits for class, and now he was tangled up with the most beautiful boy he’d ever met, the taste of sugar on his tongue and a fire in his heart. 

“The rain’s kind of nice, isn’t it?” Jisung murmured. “Feels cozy.”

“Everywhere feels cozy with you.”

Jisung turned, a little flicker of pleasant surprise on his face. Seungmin blushed, but didn’t take it back- he had a habit of getting soft at night, and something about the thunderstorm outside was making him feel like being vulnerable. 

Seungmin wasn’t shy, but he felt a little nervous as Jisung slowly dragged soft fingertips up his side, tracing the lines of his abs under his shirt. Seungmin felt a little dizzy, but he wasn’t sure if it was from forgetting to breathe as they kissed, or just because of how badly he wanted this. He leaned over Jisung, lowering himself gently to give time for the older boy to push him back if he wanted to. Clearly, though, he wanted this too. He met Seungmin halfway, pulling him down into the bed with a kiss that made his head spin. Jisung giggled into his mouth, kissing him lazily as they got more comfortable. 

Time felt relative, there in that small bedroom. The thunderstorm rolled on outside, every now and then an especially bright flash of lightning would light up the room so Seungmin could see the gorgeous flush on Jisung’s face, but then it would pass and they would be alone with the darkness again. He was pretty sure he could spend every day tracing along Jisung’s tanlines for the rest of his life, drunk on the way he would laugh when Seungmin would bite down on his hip. He didn’t realize he had the capacity to feel so happy with someone, and the realization had him feeling borderline delirious. 

When they grew tired, Seungmin pulled the older boy to his chest to snuggle in for the night. Jisung turned under the sheets, tilting his head so that he was face-to-face with Seungmin, searching his face for something he couldn’t quite name. 

“What do you think you’ll do after college?” 

Seungmin let his eyes flutter back open, a little taken aback at the question. He hadn’t thought about it all that much, not since summer started, but when he opened his mouth the familiar words spilled out without much thought. 

“Probably work in the private sector,” he said. “I’d love to work on Get Cool full time, but it’s not the most realistic plan. So I’ll probably end up in the corporate world for a few years to save up. I’ll probably work in the area I’m living now, I’ve already got an apartment there.”

Jisung nodded to himself, looking lost in thought. 

“What about you?” Seungmin asked. He traced the side of his face, the moonlight casting shadows across his cheeks in the dark. 

“I’m not sure, really,” he admitted. “Something where I can help kids, obviously, but I’m not sure exactly how yet. Just something where I can live out my purpose.”

“And what’s your purpose?”

Jisung offered a small smile, like he was sharing a secret. 

“Fearless compassion.”

Seungmin shifted so he could see the older boy better, and found him looking at the ceiling with a soft gaze.

“What does that mean?” he asked. “Fearless compassion, that seems like an oxymoron.”

“It means that even though being compassionate is scary sometimes, it’s the most important thing we can do. To open ourselves up to hurt, to vulnerability, that’s something that’s really brave. To be fearless in our compassion is to be compassionate even when it might hurt us.” 

Seungmin found himself lost for words, so instead of responding he simply leaned forward, pressing a kiss to each of Jisung’s eyelids with a gentleness that he hoped could express all the feelings currently caught up in his throat. When he pulled back, he noticed Jisung was playing with his bracelet again. 

“What is this?” Seungmin asked, reaching down, to touch the woven threads in between his fingers.

Jisung looked down at his wrist. The bracelet was made out of jewel tone threads, a few beads haphazardly woven into the pattern. It didn’t look professionally made, but Jisung wore it with a kind of pride that made Seungmin think it was precious to him. 

“This is a friendship bracelet,” he said. “I got it from one of my very first campers, three summers ago. A little boy named Hajoon. It was his first time spending a summer doing something fun just for himself, and he was pretty nervous about meeting all these new people.”

He shifted as he spoke, nuzzling into the crook of Seungmin’s neck. 

“I kind of took him under my wing.I know what it’s like to be anxious about how people see you, and I just really wanted him to have a good time, to just be a kid. By the end of the summer, he’d made his first real group of friends, and he gave me this bracelet on the last day as a little thank-you gift.”

Jisung looked up at Seungmin, a shy smile on his face. 

“I know it’s kind of old and tattered and a little tacky, but I love it so much. Every time I look down at my hands, I can remember that I helped someone. It’s kind of like a good luck charm.” 

Seungmin fought against the strange pull in his chest, the intensity of the feeling a little frightening, but Jisung was lying next to him with such an open, vulnerable smile that he couldn’t help himself from leaning in. They fell asleep tangled up in one another, the sound of rain against the windows a soundtrack to a dreamless sleep. 

✩ ✩ ✩

Overnight, all the rain coaxed the flowers in the garden to bloom. Bushes of roses punctuated the green with bright pinks and reds, while a small group of daisies reached toward the sky near the garden’s gate. 

Seungmin dragged himself out of bed early, Jisung still curled into the covers in a deep sleep, and headed downstairs. He wanted to do something nice for him, but with his limited culinary knowledge, he hoped a simple breakfast would suffice. He tried to remember all of the tips Felix had told him over the years, cooking the eggs in a pot instead of a pan so he could add butter and crème fraîche, cooking over low heat. 

He grabbed some bacon from the fridge, sprinkling some brown sugar over the top to caramelize in the oven. He toasted a few slices of bread, smearing them with some of the local jam Felix had gotten at the farmer’s market the weekend before. Finally, he cut up the remaining berries and watermelon they had leftover, putting it together in a bowl for a fruit salad. 

When Jisung finally came down the stairs, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Seungmin was proud of the small meal he had made. Jisung’s eyes grew wide when he saw the spread, laid out thoughtfully on a serving tray. 

“Is this for _me_?”

“Sure is,” Seungmin said. “Follow me.” 

He led him to the backyard, the gazebo set up with some extra blankets and two glasses of orange juice on the table. Jisung settled into the chair happily, taking his plate with a grateful smile as they got comfortable.

Jisung was wearing one of Seungmin’s shirts, having ruined the extra he brought with him by dancing in the rain the day before. _“If people keep writing songs about it, it must be something worth trying!”_ he had insisted, and who was Seungmin to deny him, well, anything?

They ate leisurely, pointing out some of the new blooms on the hydrangea bush as they ate their meal. Seungmin leaned into his chair, breathing in the smell of flowers and savoring his bacon - Felix had been _so_ right about adding the brown sugar.

They spent the rest of the day lounging around inside, an old drama on the TV in Seungmin’s room as they cuddled and napped. There was a certain healing in doing nothing, especially after having worked so hard that summer, day after day. Jisung mused about which of his campers might cry on the last day, trying to decide the best way to calm their hearts as they each moved on, but Seungmin changed the subject. He didn’t want to think about how Autumn was approaching- not yet. 

When Monday evening came, Jisung left the property with a huge grin and swollen lips. Felix arrived back home soon after, looking exhausted but happy. As he and Seungmin munched on some takeout that night, he told Seungmin how he and Changbin had explored his hometown together, finally agreeing that his town had the superior pizza. Chan had sent a text to tell them that he had slept more in the past three days than he had the previous entire week, so it seemed that everyone enjoyed their weekend. 

“What did you do?”

“Jisung came over,” he said, scooping another bit of rice up. “We just kind of lounged around.”

Felix nodded, but when paused when something caught his eye. “Is that Jisung’s bracelet?”

Seungmin looked down to his wrist, flushing. 

“Oh, um, yeah,” he muttered. “I’m just borrowing it.”

“He only takes that thing off when he showers-”

“ _How_ do you know that?” Seungmin interjected.

“-so why would you have it, unless… wait, did he stay over?”

Seungmin sighed, which was all the confirmation Felix needed. 

“Just last night, or?”

“The whole four days,” Seungmin admitted. 

Felix wiggled his eyebrows, causing Seungmin to sigh even louder. 

“It’s not like that,” he said. “Well, it’s a _little_ bit like that, but we just hung out a lot and enjoyed the time off, too. We talked a lot, and when I told him I was nervous about the final month of work, he let me borrow it for a few days. He said maybe it would inspire me with photography since it’s been such a good luck charm for him.”

Felix’s eyes were still trained on the bracelet as Seungmin cleared his throat, desperately trying to look nonchalant. When he turned back to Seungmin, he had a strange look on his face. 

“If I didn’t know better,” Felix said carefully. “I’d say he was in love with you.”

Seungmin paused, chopsticks midway to his mouth. “Yeah, well, you _do_ know better.”

Felix smiled, but didn’t fight him any further. He started unpacking his weekend bag, looking like he had more to say. Seungmin tried to ignore him, helping him hang up his rain jacket in the closet, before Felix finally spoke again. 

“As long as you know what you’re doing,” he said. “I like Jisung, he’s a good guy.”

“I know he’s a good guy,” Seungmin insisted. “But it’s just a summer fling, Lix, it’s no big deal.”

“You say that, but then you look at him with big ole googly eyes every day at the pool, and I’m not so sure.”

“You know I’m not someone who can do long distance, Lix.”

“I don’t know,” Felix shrugged. “It might be worth it. He makes you happy, right?”

“Yeah,” Seungmin flushed. “Of course he does, but-”

“And I already know you make him happy, because he talks about you literally _all_ the time. It’s always _Seungmin made me a new snowcone combo today_ or _I can’t wait to tell Seungmin about how Rosa learned backstroke today_ or _did you know Seungmin’s favorite color is lilac because the flowers that grew near his childhood home_ -”

“I _get_ it, Lix,” Seungmin said, the force of his voice breaking Felix out of his rant. “I get it. I’ll talk to him, I’ll make sure it’s clear that this is just for the summer, okay?”

“Summer flings can turn into something real,” Felix argued. “It’s like you’ve never even seen Grease!”

“Yeah, well, we aren’t going to be driving a car off into the sky at the end of this,” Seungmin insisted. “When the summer ends, so does this.”

The words sounded hollow even to his own ears, but he ignored how Felix looked at him with narrowed eyes. He knew that his friend was unconvinced, but he eventually raised his hands in defeat.

“You’re a grown man, Seungmin. You can do what you want,” Felix said. “I just think you should consider giving it all a real chance. You guys are good together.”

That night, when he snuck back out to the garden, he wondered if Felix might be right. It didn’t seem possible to him, though- how could two people fall in love so quickly, when they were total strangers mere months ago? When he reached the gazebo, Jisung was waiting for him with his guitar and a confident smile. 

Felix had said that he had gone to bed, but as he headed out the back door Seungmin was sure that he felt eyes on the back of his head.

✩ ✩ ✩

As he flipped his calendar to late August, Seungmin could feel the end of the summer looming over him like a dark cloud. Jisung kept insisting that they should just enjoy the _now_. It was easy in the moment- it felt hard to stress too much about saying goodbye when his evenings were filled with Jisung playing his guitar and stealing kisses. Everything with him felt so easy, from exploring Ashford to find the best dinner spots to driving out to the end of town on the weekends, to singing happy birthday to the campers with summer birthdays, the days slipped by lazily. Suddenly there were only two weeks left before Camp Haven closed for the season, and he knew he couldn’t push the conversation off any further. 

One night they abandoned their usual garden hangout in favor of visiting Firefly Field one last time. He tried to bring up the end of camp with Jisung on the ride over, but just like each time before, he would push the topic away. They settled in the bed of the truck under a shared blanket, looking up at the scattering of stars in the inky black night. It felt so much like the first time they had driven out here, but with one major difference. 

“There aren’t any fireflies anymore,” Seungmin noted. Jisung hummed beside him. 

“Yeah, it’s just us and the crickets now,” he commented. “I guess everything comes to an end.” 

There was a heaviness in his voice that didn’t go past Seungmin, and his stomach flipped at the connotation of his words. He spoke without even thinking.

“I’m going to miss you.” 

Jisung looked up at him, eyes sad. 

“I’m going to miss you, too,” he sighed. “I know we said from the beginning that this is just a summer thing, I get that, but… I just didn’t expect to get so comfortable with you so quickly.”

Seungmin nodded, pulling the boy closer to his chest. He felt the same way- he had no idea how easy it was all going to be with Jisung, how simple life felt with him by his side. Real life, he knew, was complicated, and he didn’t want to blemish the perfect summer they’d had together. 

“I don’t know how I’m going to do it,” Jisung admitted. “How I’m going to go back to my regular life, hours away. Not talking to you every day.”

There was a pause, only the sound of crickets singing in the distance punctuating the tense silence. Seungmin wanted to reassure him, to pull him in even closer and tell him that he wanted to stay, too. He knew that Jisung had a life back in a different city waiting for him, and it would be crazy for Seungmin to actually consider moving to be with him. It would be selfish, really, to ask him to reroute his entire life so that Seungmin could come be with him, outside of the bubble they had created that summer. 

But, God, Seungmin wanted to be selfish. 

He racked his brain, trying to find a way to articulate exactly what he was feeling, but he was so frustrated that he couldn’t form words. He was tip-toeing in dangerous territory, he knew, and his next steps would either be into a field of flowers or on a landmine. 

“I don’t want to go home yet,” Jisung whispered. “I know we have an expiration date or whatever, but I feel like every time we say goodbye and I go back to the apartment and I’m alone… it feels like all of this is just in my head.”

Seungmin looked over to him, a little surprised by the quiver in the older boy’s voice, and found Jisung looking up at the stars with wide eyes. All his earlier plans flew through his head, and he imagined himself saying goodbye to Jisung right here, right now. The image turned his stomach. 

“Then let’s stay,” Seungmin said. 

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he said. He gave Jisung’s hand a soft squeeze. “Let’s stay out here tonight.”

Jisung rolled to his side, pulling on Seungmin’s arm so that he rotated to face him. He searched his face, seemingly desperate for an answer to an unspoken question. Although Seungmin wasn’t sure exactly what he was looking for, he seemed to find it, because he nodded and pressed forward so that their lips connected. 

He wasn’t sure how long they stayed up talking, but it must have been around three in the morning by the time Seungmin felt himself slipping into sleep. He was starting to drift right as Jisung leaned in to hover by his ear. 

“Seungmin,” Jisung whispered. “Are you awake?”

Seungmin shifted, but his eyes were so heavy he couldn’t bring himself to respond. Instead, he nuzzled closer to Jisung, resting his head on his chest so he could hear his heartbeat. _Thump, thump, thump,_ a steady metronome grounding him. 

“I think I love you.”

Seungmin froze, but didn’t open his eyes. He heard Jisung’s heart stutter and he waited to see if he would continue, but only the quiet sounds of the field spoke to him. Then he felt a soft kiss at the crown of his head as Jisung settled down, pulling him in close, and he knew he’d said all he would. He fell asleep to the sound of Jisung’s heart thumping so loud in his head that he couldn’t seem to think about anything other than the boy beneath him, beautifully steady and terrifyingly real. 

✩ ✩ ✩

Blinking awake, it took Seungmin a few moments before he realized that he wasn’t in bed back at the house. Jisung was now lying with his head on Seungmin’s chest, breathing out little puffs of air that fanned across his face. He stretched his back a bit, gently so as not to disturb the boy sleeping on him, and realized with a start that he was a bit damp. They were curled under a shared blanket, covered in a soft layer of dew. 

Jisung’s face was completely relaxed in sleep, and something about the softness of his cheeks in the early morning light shot an ache straight through Seungmin when he remembered that he had to let all of this go.

It took another ten minutes for Jisung to stir, and Seungmin spent every moment of it spiraling down into the panic of knowing he needed to say goodbye. Jisung sleepily looked up at him, completely unaware, and Seungmin couldn’t help but sigh. 

“Morning,” Jisung said, voice still deep with sleep. “You sleep okay?”

“Yeah, thanks,” he said softly. “You?”

“Yeah,” Jisung said through a smile. “Thanks for staying out here with me.”

“Jisung,” he started. “You said something last night.” 

Jisung’s eyes blew wide, and the blush on his cheeks made Seungmin aware that he knew exactly what he was talking about. He sat up so that they were both sitting cross legged, facing each other in the bed of the truck. 

“Oh,” he said. “I did?”

“You did,” Seungmin said softly. 

He needed to just rip off the bandage. He needed to grit his teeth and take the first step and let it hurt, because the longer he waited the worse it would feel. He almost faltered, but then he thought of Jisung in the moonlight, bright and free, and knew he couldn’t put him through any more. 

“Jisung,” his voice was strained. “You’re not really in love with me, right?” 

“You think I would _joke_ about that?” 

Seungmin didn’t know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t the flash of confusion in Jisung’s eyes. The older boy sat up straighter, looking at Seungmin with an intensity that would make a lesser man flinch. 

“That’s not what I’m saying.” 

“Then what _are_ you saying, Seungmin?”

Really, he should have known that Jisung wouldn’t back down easily, should have known that he’d just scoff and stand his ground, no matter how uncomfortable. But then, maybe he had always underestimated Jisung.

“It’s just that summer is almost over and-”

“I know it is, but that doesn’t change how I feel about you.”

“We won’t see each other anymore, you know that,” Seungmin rushed out. “You can’t really mean it, can’t really be in love with me when you know this has to end.”

“And what if I am?” he shot back. 

“You can’t just say that!” Seungmin insisted, pain seeping into his voice. “We’ve only known each other for a few months! You know we're going to be on opposite sides of the state, Jisung, it doesn’t make any _sense_.”

Seungmin regretted the words almost immediately, tried to look away from how Jisung immediately deflated, but he didn’t take them back. There was a flash of hurt in his eyes, then, so quickly that Seungmin might have thought he had imagined it if not for the tears slowly welling up in Jisung’s eyes. He cleared his throat. 

“You don’t feel the same,” Jisung said, voice steely. “I get it now, I’m sorry I misunderstood.”

“No, Jisung, it’s just-”

“It’s fine,” he sniffed. “This is casual to you, I don’t know why I let myself hope that-” He paused, wiping at his face harshly. “Nevermind. I get it, and I’m sorry I didn’t take the hint.”

Jisung jumped down from the bed of his truck and got into the driver’s seat with a loud slam of the door. Seungmin felt a little sick, but didn’t know how to fix the situation so he just quietly joined him in the passenger seat, the guilt washing over him like a tsunami. 

How could explain it all to him, in a way that he would understand? Love was something you built over years and years, over dedication and long nights and lots of hard work, and there’s no way they could have gotten there in one summer. Seungmin couldn’t be in love with him, _right_? That just couldn’t be possible. 

Jisung drove home silently, avoiding any eye contact, and Seungmin got out of the truck as soon as he pulled up to the house. He heard him speed away as he turned the handle, and his heart clenched when he realized that Jisung waited to make sure that Seungmin was able to unlock the door before he left. 

He walked over to the couch as if in a daze, staring at the wall as he tried to pinpoint how everything had turned so sideways. He was still sitting there silently when Felix got home, eyes widening in concern when he noticed his friend lifeless on the couch. 

“Hey,” Felix said, coming to sit next to him. “Are you okay?”

“Jisung and I are done,” he said simply. 

“ _What_?” Felix gasped. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry, what happened?”

“No, I’m the one who ended it.”

“What the fuck, why?”

“I needed to end it before we got too attached, Lix. Camp is ending soon.”

Felix sighed, leaning back into the couch cushion. Seungmin could feel his eyes on him, watching for some hint of how he was actually feeling, but he focused on keeping his face blank. He thought he was going to get away with it, too, until Felix reached out his hand and gently placed it on his shoulder. Something about the gentle pressure on his arm made him turn to look at his friend, and the moment he made eye contact with him, Seungmin burst into tears. 

Felix pulled him into a hug, reassuring him as he explained through shaky breaths what had happened. He got through the beginning of the story fine, but when he finally told Felix about what he’d said to Jisung, his friend sighed. 

“Oh, Minnie, why would you say that?” Felix asked. “Anyone with half a brain cell can see you’re crazy about him.”

“It doesn’t make any sense for us to be together,” Seungmin muttered. “We have completely different lives in completely different places.”

“So what, this is about long distance?”

“It’s not _just_ that,” Seungmin muttered, voice thick with tears. “There’s no way we actually feel as strongly as we think we do, you know? It can’t be possible. He deserves someone who can be there with him, to really build a relationship with.”

“He deserves to make that choice for himself, I think,” Felix said. “Besides, you’re graduating early. It’s only a semester, and then you can move anywhere.”

“We’ve only known each other a few months,” Sewungmin countered. “Isn’t that kind of crazy, to consider moving your whole life to somewhere you’ve never been, for someone you barely know?”

“Is that how you really feel?” Felix asked. “Like you barely know him?”

Seungmin paused, blowing his nose uglily. Felix waited patiently, rubbing soothing circles in his back and silencing Seungmin’s phone when it started ringing. 

“No,” he finally said. “I feel like I’ve known him my whole life. I feel like he’s always been there, and now I don’t know what my life is going to look like without him in it.”

Felix nodded knowingly. “That sounds pretty worth it to me, Min. Look, love doesn’t always make sense-”

“I didn’t say I loved him.” 

“Yeah, you made that pretty clear to Jisung, too.”

Seungmin hung his head, crestfallen. He could only imagine how much his words must have stung. 

“Sorry, that was harsh,” Felix winced. “I just hate to see you hurting when you don’t need to- I’m positive that Jisung feels the same way about you. Literally anyone with eyes can see how he looks at you.”

“You don’t _know_ that,” Seungmin sniffled. “How can I ask him to jump into something with me, especially after what I said?”

“Long distance isn’t easy,” Felix said. “I’m not saying it is. And it’s true, you guys have only known each other for a summer.”

Seungmin hung his head, heavy under the weight of grief. Felix leaned over, tipping his head up so that he was looking him in the eyes. 

“ _But_ ,” he said. “My parents only knew each other for ten days before they moved in together! There’s no rules for love, Min, you just have to do what feels right. Relationships are hard work, but it’s worth it for the right person. You’ve been happier this summer than I’ve even seen you.”

“You think he’d give me a chance?” Seungmin finally asked.

Felix gave him a kind smile. 

“Not a doubt in my mind.”

Seungmin leaned in, pulling his friend into a bone-crushing hug. Felix was right, he knew, but it had taken everything falling apart in front of him for him to see it. He knew it wouldn’t be easy- relationships rarely are, and being hours apart from Jisung for half a year seemed borderline masochistic, but it paled in comparison to the ache he felt when he thought of letting him go forever.

He took a deep breath, settling his nerves. He knew what he wanted, and now he just needed to be vulnerable. He looked down to his wrist, Jisung’s bracelet still hanging there like a promise, and nodded to himself. 

“I’m going over to his place,” he announced. Felix gave him a supportive fist in the air, “Fighting!”, and then Seungmin was on his feet. 

He didn’t even grab his phone, just barreled straight for the door. When he turned the handle and swung it open, he was shocked to find that someone was already there. 

“Jisung.”

The older boy was standing in the doorway, one hand gripping his phone and the other still raised in the air, ready to knock.

“You weren’t picking up,” Jisung said, voice shaking. “And I just- can we talk? Please?”

“I was literally just leaving to come find you,” Seungmin laughed, voice suddenly thick. “Come with me, Ji.”

They walked through the house to the garden, and when they reached the gazebo Seungmin could feel them both relax a bit. The garden had always been a place of safety and privacy for them, spending late nights together laughing and playing music and falling in love. It seemed fitting that the conversation should happen there, and when Jisung and Seungmin stood face to face the scent of peonies in the air and the watercolor hydrangeas surrounding them seemed to comfort them both.

“I’m sorry for what I said,” Seungmin started. “I just knew we would have to be apart for half a year, and it’s not fair for me to ask you to wait-”

“You don’t have to ask,” Jisung interrupted. “Seriously. This whole summer, all you’ve done is cheer me on and make me happy- you’re worth waiting for.”

Seungmin always thought falling in love would be like a tidal wave crashing over him, knocking him off balance and into a completely unknown world. He was wrong, though. It was actually more like slipping into a pool- taking those careful, tentative steps before finally letting your body gently slip under the water, surrendering to the safe feeling of being really, truly known. 

“I love that you became a social worker out of your love for kids,” Seungmin rushed out. “Not because you had a hard life and want better for others, not because you want to be a hero, but just because you’re just a good fucking person. You always speak your mind, even when you know people might disagree with you. You love everyone with an openness that frankly scares the shit out of me sometimes.”

“What are you saying?” Jisung asked. He looked like he was afraid to be hopeful. 

“I love you,” Seungmin said. “I’m sorry I didn’t say it before, because I do. I love you and I’ve been in love with you since the first time you took me to the field and your eyes lit up when you saw the fireflies. I’m sorry I’m an idiot, I don’t want to lose you and I-” 

Jisung kissed him so firmly he thought his lips may bruise. He cradled Jisung’s face, pressing kiss after kiss, until they were both a little breathless. He could feel Jisung’s pulse under his fingertips, beating fast as hummingbird wings, and they both smiled into the kiss. Seungmin leaned in, drinking in the rush of forgiveness and the feeling of being adored, and knew in his bones that this was the right decision. 

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Jisung said, stepping back. “I should’ve talked to you about everything, not run away. I just got so overwhelmed thinking that this was all in my head.”

“God, no, _I’m_ sorry,” Seungmin said. “I thought it would be easier for us to have a clean break, to just move on from everything, but I was wrong. I don’t care how hard it might be, I don’t want to lose you.”

Seungmin didn’t even realize he was crying until Jiusng reached up to cup his cheek, brushing away his tears with fingers that were gentle, but firm. 

“Oh my god, you’re even pretty when you cry!” Jisung said. They were both laughing, but tears were still running down both of their cheeks. “This is so unfair, you need to look ugly _sometimes_.”

“Never,” Seungmin sniffed. 

Jisung laughed, pulling him in for a hug. Seungmin could feel his arms around his waist, strong and steady, and let himself finally exhale. He leaned back a bit so he could look Jisung in the eyes, to look for any sense of hesitation or worry, but all he found was impossible warmth. He didn’t feel like he deserved this level of kindness, not after he had tried to push him away, but when he looked in his eyes he could see it clearly- he was just as gone for Seungmin as he was for Jisung. 

“It might be really hard,” Seungmin said. “But I want to try. If you’ll have me.”

“I love you,” Jisung said, eyes bright. “Maybe we’re crazy for moving so fast, but I don’t care, it’s how I feel. And it feels _so_ good to say that with you fully conscious!”

“I’ve never done long distance before,” he admitted. “But when you think about it, we’re only about a day’s drive apart, and I’m graduating in the winter. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’m nervous, but I want to give this a real shot.”

“We’re in this together,” Jisung said simply. 

Seungmin nodded, the weight of the world slipping off his back in one fell swoop. 

“Now that it’s settled,” Jisung said with a huge grin. “I want you to stop staring at me, and start kissing me.”

Seungmin laughed but nodded. He stepped forward, out of his old life and into the unknown, to pull a beautiful boy in for another kiss. 

✩ ✩ ✩

The last week of camp gave Felix and Seungmin their busiest days yet, with every one of the campers wanting to get their last snow cones and bingsus with their friends before saying goodbye. 

Felix had practically passed out with excitement when Seungmin told him that he and Jisung were dating, as if he hadn’t been pressed to the window to watch their entire conversation. He was already in the throes of planning double-dates in Ashford, the unofficial halfway point between Felix and Seungmin’s town and the college that Changbin and Jisung attended. 

The first photo Seungmin posted of two of them was simple- the two of them standing in front of the community pool in their respective uniforms, Jisung pressing a proud kiss to his cheek. His friends were blowing up Jisung’s social media, obsessed with him already, and the older boy was secretly pleased with all the stories of Seungmin from the years before they met. He should have seen it coming, how all the comments had practically glitched his Instagram, but luckily Jisung found it sweet. 

It was surprisingly hard to say goodbye to the kids, Seungmin found, but Jisung coached him through goodbyes in a way that made the kids feel supported and appreciated- a different flavor combination for each child, based on their personality. The final day at camp the kids all lined up for shaved ice, their line completely perfected, chanting various combinations of Seungmin and Jisung’s names. 

“What are they doing?” he laughed, handing Noah the last patbingsu for his brothers. 

“They’re really excited that we’re official,” Jisung explained. “So they’ve been working on a couple name for us.”

Felix burst into laughter, but Seungmin was secretly flattered. Rosa, his favorite camper, had given him a hand-drawn card after accepting her last snow cone, a lemon-lime combo. 

_Thanks for making Coach Jisung happy_ ! it said, written in big blue marker. _He smiles every day since you talked to him! The big kind of smile that he said comes from heart feelings! Thank you for all the tasty cones, Coach Seungmin!_

If he ended up framing the haphazardly colored card, well, that was his business.

He and Felix packed their stuff back into the back of the Get Cool truck, standing in the driveway of the house as they stuffed their belongings into the storage that usually held their ingredients. Felix had accumulated a collection of souvenirs over the summer, but Seungmin’s main addition was a silver bracelet he had gotten from the local silversmith. Jisung had a matching one, dangling on his wrist right underneath the woven one from his first camper. 

“Where’s my goodbye kiss?” a voice yelled, indignant.

Seungmin turned from where he was shoving his last bag into the truck to find Jisung behind him, hands on his hips. He was trying his best to look annoyed, but Seungmin could spy the fondness in his eyes as he walked towards him. 

Jisung slipped his hands into Seungmin’s, pulling him in for a quick kiss. He started to pull away, but Seungmin leaned in again, kissing him firm and sure. Once he was satisfied with the blush on Jisung’s cheeks, he stepped back. 

“It’s not a goodbye kiss,” he insisted, pressing a few more pecks to Jisung’s heart shaped mouth. “It’s a see-you-later kiss.”

Jisung laughed, leaning in to kiss his boyfriend one more time before they had to get on the road. 

“I like that,” he said. “Drive safely, Min, I’m gonna miss you.” 

“You too,” he said, giving his hands a squeeze. “Don’t forget to text me when you’re home safe!” 

Jisung winked, but nodded. 

They piled into their own vehicles, Seungmin hopping into the driver seat of the Get Cool truck as Felix fiddled with the radio station. He could see Changbin in the passenger seat of Jisung’s truck, waving wildly at them as they started to drive north. 

He allowed himself one last look at the house, the sound of the garden fountain faint in the distance, as he adjusted his mirrors. Felix was texting furiously, and Seungmin was pretty sure who he was talking to, if Changbin’s smile that morning had been any indication. 

Seungmin had no way of knowing how it would all turn out, then, as he waved goodbye and he pulled the truck out of the driveway.

He didn’t know how much the distance would ache, the way Hyunjin would have to help him unpack as he explained through tears that he missed Camp Haven. He didn’t know how much joy he would get when he and Jisung started sending old-school letters to one another, battling to see who could find the cringiest love cards at the store. He didn’t know that the semester would both fly by and drag on, nightly FaceTime calls holding him over until they finally had a weekend together in mid-October. 

He’d had no idea how Jisung would slip into his life seamlessly, how all of his friends would immediately love him and adopt them into their lives, too. He had no way of knowing that they’d only get to see each other two times that semester, but that evenever they were together it would be like the distance never even happened. He didn’t know that Hyunjin, Felix, and Jeongin would help Jisung plan a surprise visit to Seungmin’s college campus the weekend before his graduation, convincing him to hide inside an extra-large suitcase until Seungmin noticed it in the corner of the room. 

He didn’t know that Jisung would show up at his door with a bag of candy from Sugarglaze and a bouquet of sunflowers, how he would sit with Seungmin’s parents and siblings as he walked across the stage in December, cheering louder than almost anyone. He didn’t know how Jisung would make his friends smile so much when they went out drinking that night, arms slung around each others’ waists and stealing kisses in the back alley. 

There was no way for Seungmin to know that a bright, beautiful life was coming toward him, but it was. When he fell asleep that night with his phone cradled to his ear, Jisung singing softly on the other end of the line, all he knew for sure that an adventure awaited them. 

Summer at Camp Haven was just the beginning.

✩ ✩ ✩


End file.
